Just Between Us
by CayStar
Summary: Jasper and Peter escaped the Southern Vampire Wars, only to be pulled apart by the modern human world. A difference in diet and pressure from the "family" causes them to go their separate ways. Will a teenage human girl bring them together or drive them further apart? J/B/P- rated M for slash/poly, teen sex, and language- please don't read if you're under 18!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is my very first attempt at fanfiction so please be gentle! This is a Jasper/Bella/Peter story but as it's chronological it will be Jasper/Peter for a while since, well, Bella isn't born yet ;) Also note, this is NOT your typical fanfiction Peter. This is MY Peter. He is not snarky, he is submissive and he is the Major's mate, because that's the only way I see Jasper not killing him. He is also gifted but that will come up later. There will be some boy/boy lovin' and it starts right off the bat so if you have a problem with it this story is not for you. James is in this story from the beginning as well- he is a tracker in Maria's army. Any questions, let me know! Hope you enjoy!**

_Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story line, SM owns the characters I'm just having fun with them._

**Peter POV  
****Texas/Mexico border, along the Rio Grande, 1941**

I leaned back against his firm, cool chest, relishing in the feel of his textured scars touching the bare skin of my back. The sun was peeking over the horizon signaling an end to our brief respite from the horrors of war. I focused on my feelings of love, peace, and tranquility to send them to my empathic mate, my small attempt at easing his burden. In this insane world of blood, death, and war, he was my salvation, my whole reason for continuing to exist. The Major was a hard man, a cruel and unforgiving taskmaster, but with me alone he would sometimes lower his walls enough to let me glimpse the heart of the man he buried deep inside. It took me years to earn his trust, and only the instincts of our mating bond had saved me from destruction at his very hands countless times before. He still had to carry out the punishments our mistress ordered for me in front of the camp from time to time but he would always follow up with tender ministrations when we were alone again. He tried to hide it but I knew the emotional pain he felt during these times was much worse than anything I was feeling physically. I never held it against him, I knew the rules of our world and you had to play by the rules if you wanted to survive.

"Peter," he called, drawing me from my distracted musing. "I need to tell you somethin' 'n I've been puttin' it off but I can't wait any longer now."

"Why do I think I'm not gonna like what you're tellin' me Major? You've never had trouble talkin' to me before now." I had a really bad feeling and his tone of voice wasn't helping me any with that.

"It's Maria" he sighed.

I twisted around to see his face but he tightened his arms around me and refused to meet my eyes. "What's the devil done now?"

"Peter, I've heard her talkin' to several of the other guards. They've been watchin' for ya to screw up and give her an excuse to kill ya."

Well, that's never good. "I've been doin' the best I can Major. I swear I haven't broken any rules, and I haven't even looked your way when she's out makin' her rounds. What do I need to do?"

"It's past the point of savin' Captain. I can't keep trying to watch my back and yours both. I know she's gonna take you from me and then I'll have nothin' left. Nothin' left at all." This time he let me turn and cup his face with my hands. The utter misery in his eyes left me reeling. There had to be something I could do.

"Sir, I will do anythin' to save ya. You know that don't ya? I live only for you. Just please, tell me what to do and I'll do it." I begged him, searching his eyes for some kind of hope. Instead I saw the one thing I have never seen in his bright ruby eyes before- fear.

"I heard her tell James she was gonna come look for us this mornin' before we head back to camp. She wants to ambush us and take you out, make me watch it all. If I thought you would go I would tell ya to run now and don't look back. But I know ya better than that and so I won't even try to ask ya." Good, no way in hell am I runnin' off and leaving my mate behind. The Major ain't mated to a coward.

"So what's the plan then sir?" I know he has one. I'm usually his tactical advisor when it comes to battles but since he didn't fill me in on this ahead of time he must have come up with something on his own.

"There's only one thing to do and I have to tell you it scares the shit out of me to even consider it. We have to fight, no matter who she sends, or how many. I know she will probably come herself, to make sure that you get killed and I don't. With James around to track us, there is no runnin' away so we're gonna have to stand and fight." He still had the tight look of fear in his eyes and I didn't understand it. We live for the fight, he's never lost and I've only lost to him in sparring. What was left to be afraid of?

"No offense sir, but why is this fight different? What has you so worried?" I took the chance on questioning him, hoping he wouldn't turn on me and make me regret opening my mouth. The one thing the Major wouldn't tolerate was disrepect and I'd basically called him out on his fear. Mate or not, I wasn't sure how he would react to that.

He took a deep breath, pulling me tight to his chest again, and dipped his head to run his nose along his mark on my neck. I couldn't keep the purr from rising in my chest at the rare show of tender affection.

"Peter, the only way I can see us makin' it out of here and guaranteein' that nobody follows us is if I release my demon. But I honestly don't know what will happen to you if I do that. I don't know if the demon will still recognize you as my mate. I have filled you with my scent and marked ya again fresh this mornin' but I still don't know if it will be enough. My demon runs on instinct but it's violent instincts, not lovin' ones." With that speech he dropped his head again and I could feel his insecurity and fear leaking out through our bond.

Finally, I knew what he needed from me. And I knew I could give it to him. Because I held the one thing he didn't firm in my grasp- my faith in him. I knew he didn't trust himself, and especially his demon, with good reason. He had destroyed entire towns and armies single-handedly when his demon was out. The Major was a tough soldier but his demon was just other-worldly. I'd never seen it first hand but the stories around camp from when Maria would rile him up and turn him loose were legendary. He thought that I would fear him and not risk being near his demon but I knew my mate better than he knew himself and I was sure of my course.

"Jasper, Major, I know you think your demon won't see me as your mate, and I know you think you'll hurt me if I'm near you but I think your very nature won't allow it. Your demon runs solely on instinct and there is no greater vampire instinct than defendin' your mate." I turned again to cup his cheeks and bring his eyes up to meet mine. "Look at me, sir, I trust you. I have trusted you with my life from the very moment I laid my human eyes on you, and I will trust you until we both are turned to ash. I _know _your demon won't hurt me, because he is you. And I trust him because I trust you. Whatever you have to do, wherever you have to go, I will be with you. Beside you, or behind you, wherever you need me, I will be there."

He searched my eyes for a long minute and I held my gaze steady and my emotions strong. We both knew by now there was no way I could ever lie to my mate. Somehow in our camp of hundreds I was the only one who had figured that little tidbit of information out. The other officers and Maria were constantly trying to sneak past him, even though he could feel a lie from a mile away. Guess it's like my ma always said, you just can't fix stupid.

He finally let out a ragged breath, letting his sweet scent ghost over my face. I watched his features firm up and his eyes go hard and black. "Best grab your things and get ready. I can feel them about 5 miles out. They're comin' in from all directions so we'll be surrounded soon. Or so they think anyway." His mouth pulled up in a cruel smirk and I couldn't help the rush of desire I felt at seeing my powerful mate in his "Major Mode".

I hopped up and buttoned my pants but didn't put my shirt back on. Venom is a bitch to get out of fabric and if the demon is coming out I knew we'd both be drenched in it before too long. I tied my hair back with a leather strap and pulled my satchel across my body. Our two shirts, my father's old pocket watch, and the major's old confederate uniform and books were all that comprised our worldly possessions. I turned to my mate and gave him an expectant look while I stood at attention.

"Captain, I think when my demon is out you best stand right behind me and within arm's reach. Don't take on adversaries unless you see I am completely engaged and you need to watch my back. I don't think I'll take kindly to ya puttin' yourself in harm's way, even if you are the best soldier I've ever trained. Understand?"

"Sir, yes sir. I will stay close to ya 'n follow yer lead." I cut my eyes to his and watched as they began to slowly blacken even further than before. Just before the whites of his eyes were completely coal black I heard him mutter, "Let's do this."


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story line, SM owns the characters I'm just having fun with them._

**Peter POV**

I finally began to hear the approaching vampires that the Major had felt with his gift. I estimated there were at least 75, coming at us from all directions. I took a step closer to my mate and held my ground when he turned his pitch-black eyes my way. His arm shot behind him and pulled me close to his back while his deep voice growled, "**_MINE_**!" I had known I didn't need to worry but it was nice to have my theories validated, and also nice my mate didn't try to kill me like every other being who had met his demon before. He pulled me along with him as he broke into a run heading north, jumping over the Rio Grande into Texas and toward the majority of the vampires heading for us. The tactical part of my brain appreciated the move- he would take out the fiercest fighters first and make the rest run to catch us, eliminating the advantage of surrounding us. Maybe if Maria had done more fighting and less fucking she might be able to outsmart her top two officers. Lucky for us, she just ain't that bright.

As we topped a small hill he paused to survey the suicidal vampires headed our way. He let out an ear-splitting roar and let a strong wave of fear out towards the approaching horde. Most dropped to their knees right away and he rushed forward to start ripping them to pieces. Off to my left I heard James whisper, "Oh shit, his demon is out!" before turning to run back the way he came, and away from Maria's camp. Bet he won't stop running for a week at least, or until he hits the ocean. As I watched him go I felt a newborn come behind me on my right side but before I could react the Major had his head off and roared in his face, "**_MY MATE!"_**

One after another they kept coming in waves and he kept ripping them to pieces smaller than I'd ever seen him do before. I wasn't sure they would ever put themselves back together even if we didn't burn them. I kept my eye on my mate and I couldn't even follow his movements they were so fast. One or two of them got their teeth close enough to graze him but other than that he was untouched. The whole battle took maybe 10 minutes before there wasn't anything left standing but the two of us. He was still crouched in front of me with his arms extended and breath heaving in and out like a rodeo bull. His golden curls whipped side to side as he looked around watching for more threats and I'm sure he had his gift searching for those who might be stupid enough to hide from him but there was nothing but wiggling body parts for a good half mile surrounding us.

Before I could think about moving he whipped around to face me and began checking me over for injuries. He growled as he smelled the foreign venom that had rained down on us and immediately began licking it from my skin, purring deep in his chest as he did so. "**_MY mate. Good mate." _**Guess the demon is sticking around until he feels like I've been protected well enough. I wasn't real sure how to bring my Major back but I wasn't complaining about the tender care he was giving me either. The demon he was so scared of is apparently a very protective and possessive mate. He picked me up and carried me to a relatively clear patch of land before laying me down and resuming scenting me with his tongue. When he reached the v of my hips and went to open my pants up my eyes rolled back and I couldn't hold in the groan of lust. His pitch black eyes shot up to me as his tongue dipped lower toward my straining member.

Well, I guess we're doing this now. Gotta love an audience when your mate needs to claim ya! All thoughts fled when he grasped me firmly in hand and growled lowly, "**_MINE"_** I couldn't help whispering, "All yours Major. Only yours."

His tongue continued lower down my right leg, covering every square inch. I held my breath as he went all the way down and back up again my left leg. Finally reaching where I wanted him most he slowly dragged his tongue all the way down my length from base to tip before locking his onyx eyes on mine and whispering, "_**MINE**_" again. In a flash he was on top of me, crashing his mouth against mine, our tongues in a futile battle for dominance (he would always win, no question about that). His hand still pumped me, faster now, before he pulled his mouth away from mine to wet his fingers with my tongue. Moving back down my body he used his fingers to prep me before entering me swiftly. Finally one again with my mate I gave into the feelings of intense lust and desire he bounced back and forth between us. I lost count of how many times I came, lost in a cloud surrounded by my glorious mate.

Hours later he again roared his release and collapsed on top of me breathing hard. He pulled me closer to him and to my shock I felt him begin to sob brokenly with his head buried in my neck.

"Peter, oh Peter. Thank God you're alright! I thought I'd lost you. I thought I would kill you myself and I-" he broke off with a huge shudder and began crying again.

I sat there for a few minutes absolutely stunned. I had been with this man for over 20 years and seen every side of him I thought there was but I had never seen him cry. Even when I knew he was breaking inside, particularly after he had to punish me, he never once showed his emotions at this level. I chanced a glance at him as he lifted his head and noticed his eyes were a lighter red than I had ever seen them before. Absolutely shining like he was lit within. I swore I could almost see his love for me, something he had never once shared with me in the past. After studying him warily I ventured to speak.

"Major? You ok sir?" I softly asked.

"Peter, it's me. I don't know how but you brought me back. Not the major, but me! Jasper! I haven't been myself in so long but you not only tamed my demon but brought me back to myself as well!" His eyes were still glowing as a breathtaking smile lit up his face.

I sat and studied him some more and noticed the hard lines on his face had eased and with the sun behind his halo of golden curls he truly looked like an angel. I fought back a gasp as I realized just how young he had been when he was turned. He had told me he was 19 when Maria found him but he had already been in the Confederate army for 3 years at that time and now another 80 years in the Southern Wars had hardened even his unchangeable vampire appearance far past his true age. But seeing him this morning was like seeing him for the first time. His brow was softened, his jaw seemed more relaxed, and that smile was almost hard to look at it was so beautiful.

I tentatively reached my hand up to brush the hair from his eyes and gave him a lopsided smile of my own. I sent him my feelings of gratitude, awe, and, most important, my all-consuming love for him. I watched as his eyes drifted closed and his smile softened some before he reopened his eyes and shocked the hell out of me.

"Peter, I love you too."


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N**__: I just have to say I am overwhelmed by the positive response to this story! I appreciate the reviews/follows/favs and I hope everyone sticks around for the ride! _

_Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story line, SM owns the characters I'm just having fun with them._

**Peter POV**

After we spent the morning gathering all the parts we could find and burning them, including that horrible bitch Maria, we found a small pond to clean ourselves up and put our dingy clothes back on. I kept stealing glances at the Major; I just couldn't get used to seeing him so peaceful looking. He looked like a sweet and innocent school boy, not the war-hardened lethal vampire I knew him to be.

"Pete, I can't keep up with your emotions- what has you thinkin' so hard over there?"

"Nothing much sir, just seems like you've changed is all. You look so much younger now, gonna make me feel like an old man over here." I halfway joked. Our age difference, either in vampire years or human years had never made much difference to me one way or the other. The major always seemed so much older and more mature than I was. Now that his guard was down I felt like I could pass for the older one, at least in my human age of 26 anyway.

He gave me a thoughtful look and then a soft smile as he answered, "You know, I feel like I'm young again, for the first time since I left my mama and went off to war. I haven't been free since I was 16 years old and today I finally earned my freedom. I feel like I've been reborn!"

Then his face turned serious as he took my hand and looked me straight in the eye. "Peter, I don't know what we'll do now but I can't go back to how things were. I can't take anymore killin' and fightin' and wars. We need to get out of here and see if we can't find a different way to live. Will you come with me?"

I couldn't believe he even had to ask me that. When will this man ever learn? "Of course I'll come with you. Where else would I go? You're all I have to live for- you're my mate, sir!"

His answering smile was stunning as he threw his arms around me and pulled me close again. "Thanks Peter. And will you do me favor? Call me Jasper. We're not in the army anymore and you're not my subordinate. You're my partner, in every way, and I'd like us to start our new life on equal ground. Ok?"

I swear he is trying to give me a heart attack, and my heart ain't even beating anymore. What am I gonna do with him? "Ok sir, I mean, Jasper. I'll try to remember but it's gonna take some gettin' used to! So where are we headed?"

"Much as it pains me to say it, I think we gotta head north. We gotta get close enough to some human towns so we can feed, but we need to be away from the territory disputes down here. Maybe we can find somewhere cloudy so we can look around in the daytime and see how the world is changin'. We need to find some clothes too. We'll just have to be careful and look out for each other- we know we can take on anyone stupid enough to challenge us but hopefully we can avoid conflict as much as possible." he answered.

I thought through what he said and as usual it made a whole lotta sense. I was more than a little nervous about heading into unknown territory, but we had heard from a nomad we captured a few years back that there were other ways of living up in the north, away from the wars. Vampires actually traveled around during the day if the weather was cooperative and they walked right down the street among the humans without them even realizing it, or so he said anyway.

"Alright, I guess we better get goin' then. Want to backtrack down to Laredo before we move out or head straight to San Antonio? We shouldn't have trouble feedin' anywhere in Maria's territory for a few days at least. It will take the other warlords' scouts time to figure out she and her army don't exist. Unless they meet up with James, that is." I was back in my Captain strategy mode, planning our best course of action.

"James?" Jasper interrupted me, "What about James? Was he not in on the attack?" Jasper knew anyone who faced his demon was gone but I guess he wasn't really taking names as he killed.

"No sir, he ran off as soon as he saw you. Headed west, away from camp. Probably won't see him again. But he knew what was comin' so if he sees anyone else he'll probably spread the word that you went rogue and took her down." I almost regretted my words when I saw the small frown on his face as I reminded him of the destruction he had just caused. Seems there was a reason Jasper was locked away behind the Major- Jasper was a soldier, but not a heartless killer.

"Ok, we'll head to San Antonio then. We'll have to move fast and stay between towns until dark. After we fill up, we need to get movin' and get as far north as we can as fast as possible. I don't want any other generals decidin' they need to get their hands on me. You are coverin' us right?" I knew he knew I was- I always covered our scent with my shield whenever we left the compound. It was ingrained in me- I couldn't NOT protect my mate. My shield was my most closely guarded secret. Only Jasper knew I was gifted, the rest of the compound just thought I had no scent. I trained with my shield privately, with only my mate guiding me. He didn't want word of my gift getting around, there was always a more powerful vampire who would love to get their hands on me if they knew. The biggest threat was the Volturi of course, but they hadn't been around since I was changed. They had checked in with Maria and Jasper about 10 years before he found me, and according to him they were very interested in his gift. It was only Maria's close ties to Caius that kept them from taking him away back then. If they knew what a powerful mated pair we were they would be here in a human heartbeat.

"Yeah, I always have us covered. Not that it does any good against James. Wish I knew how to stop him from trackin' us." That had always been a sore spot for me. What good was it to have a shield if I couldn't keep the wrong people off my mate's trail?

"Pete, we have been over this. You're a physical shield. James uses a mental gift when he's trackin'. There's no way for you to stop him. We'll just have to hope he's scared enough not to come lookin'. Now let's get outta here ok?"

After running north and feeding in the outskirts of San Antonio we turned slightly more northeast. I knew from my human years that there were more cities up that way and hopefully more opportunity for us to blend in and still have our fill to eat. We moved more quickly by night and explored when we could by day. Several weeks on the road had shown us both more than we had seen in all our years before that. By the time we reached Illinois we had yet to run into another vampire and Jasper hadn't sensed anyone around us with his gift. We were beginning to think that vampires only lived in the south. However, as we neared the suburbs of Springfield we ran across the trail of two vampires and slowed, our senses on full alert.

"Tighten your shield, I don't want any sound gettin' out either ok? This area may be claimed and we need to move on before they run across us." Never thought I'd see the day the Major would run from a confrontation. He must be really nervous being so far from our home territory. I just hope that nomad was right and there aren't any wars up here. I'm getting used to this different side of my mate, it's like learning a whole new person. Our relationship has evolved to a more equal partnership and even our love life has changed. I'm not always on bottom now, it really makes life interesting. I'm not sure how all that would change if he shifted back into Major mode all the time again now.

I knew he hadn't actually meant to order me but I couldn't stop the reflexive "Yes, sir" from slipping out as I set about double checking the strength of my shield. I saw him glance at me out of the corner of my eye as he smirked at my tone. "Sorry, force of habit I guess. My shield's good." Just as I said that he froze and focused his gaze to the east. I could see his eyes gradually darken and I sighed, he must be feeling the vampires approach now.

"There's two of them," he said, "One feels cautious and the other is... irritated? Are you sure you've got us covered? They're headed straight for us. How did they know we're here?"

I sighed and looked around, spotting a tree about 50 yards away. "Let's hit that tree and wait for 'em. If they got around me somehow at least we'll have the advantage if we need to jump 'em." He agreed and we started up the tree, after rolling our sleeves up and unbuttoning our shirts. Let whoever is coming know they really don't want to mess with us- our scars should be warning enough, even up here where Jasper probably isn't well known.

I finally heard two sets of footsteps coming at a pretty fast run directly toward us. How the hell do they know where we are? Nobody has ever gotten around my shield like that. I tried to keep my nerves in so I wouldn't tip off my mate but I felt him send me some of his calm reassurance anyway. That went straight out the window when I heard the voice.


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story line, SM owns the characters I'm just having fun with them._

_Previously on Just Between Us:  
__I finally heard two sets of footsteps coming at a pretty fast run directly toward us. How the hell do they know where we are? Nobody has ever gotten around my shield like that. I tried to keep my nerves in so I wouldn't tip off my mate but I felt him send me some of his calm reassurance anyway. That went straight out the window when I heard the voice._

"One of them's a shield and I think the other's an empath. They seem to be mates but I'm not sure- they're both males!" What the hell? Jasper's eyes met mine with a look of shock. Is he a mind reader or something?

"Yes, I am. Don't worry- my sister and I mean you no harm. We just wanted to talk. We are looking for a new city for our family and I wasn't aware this area was claimed." The strange vampire just kept talking like we were friends instead of possible adversaries. "I told you we don't mean you harm. That's a powerful shield you have, I didn't hear a sound or pick up your scent at all. If it wasn't for my gift I'd never know you were there." About this time he ran into a view- a tall, lanky bronze haired boy, and a tiny girl with spiky black hair. What caught my eye wasn't their obvious youth and striking clear skin free from scars, it was their strange yellow eyes. What were these creatures?

"What the hell are you?" my mate finally spoke up. "And what kind of idiot walks around advertisin' his gifts? Do you want to get picked up by the Volturi or somethin'?"

"Oh, no, we don't worry about that. Our father is close friends with Aro and he would never take us away from our family." the boy responded confidently. "By the way, my name is Edward. Which one of you is Jasper and which one is Peter?"

I started to speak but stopped when Jasper put his hand on my arm and sent me some caution. I shut my mouth and let the Major take the lead but before he spoke the little pixie girl jumped in.

"Hey! I know you! I saw you but not now, it's supposed to be a few years from now in Philadelphia. What are you doing here with him? I never saw him. You were supposed to be alone!" She rattled on looking straight at my mate the whole time. I couldn't stop the frown on my face, who does this little sprite think she's talking to? Nobody addresses the Major like that. She needs to learn some respect. I turned to her "brother" and told him what I thought about the situation by replaying my thoughts of our escape, my mate's demon out in full glory. These kids needed to learn who they were dealing with.

Edward reached out and put his hand on the girl's shoulder, interrupting her. "Alice, I think you might want to ease up a bit. These guys are obviously soldiers, we don't want them getting the wrong idea and attacking us." He turned to my mate then, "I apologize, sir. She has these visions and when something doesn't go as she planned she can be a little hard to deal with. She meant no disrespect, sir."

The girl was obviously a mental case. She could not seem to close her mouth. "Sir? Why are you calling him sir, Edward? He's just a boy, he's probably as young as you are. The other one looks like he's in charge. He's obviously older." she continued, looking me over from head to toe. As she turned her eyes on me I felt the Major pull me back toward his chest and let out a deep warning growl.

"Uh, Alice, I don't think you want to look at them like that. The one with the shorter hair is the Major from the Southern Wars- you know, the one Garrett told us about? And I'm guessing the other one is his mate, and he doesn't seem to like you looking at his mate." Looks like the boy is the brains of this duo. I tipped my head to him, acknowledging that he was on the right track there.

Then his words caught up with me. "Wait, did you say Garrett? Tall guy, long brown hair? Revolutionary era? When did you see him last?" This had to be the same nomad we had talked to. I thought the major had killed him but he must have let him go? I turned to my mate with curiosity and he briefly met my eyes while nodding to me. I gave him a smile and sent him some pride. I had liked that Garrett and I was proud of Jasper for letting him go free.

"Yes, that's him. We saw him about 6 months ago when he came to visit my father. He and Carlisle have been friends for over a century. Carlisle has tried to convert him to our diet without success. When he told us that he ended up captured by the Major and the biggest army in the south we thought he was joking. But I saw his memories and how he was released. He never mentioned anything about the Major having a mate though. How did you hide your relationship around camp?" God, this kid was curious. I glanced back at Jasper to see him still tense but his eyes were lighter than they were before. I raised my eyebrows to ask him how he wanted to handle this and he let out a breath before looking at the vampires below us.

"Look," he said, "we're gonna come down from this tree but I need to get somethin' straight with ya first. Back away and make yourselves look as submissive as possible. Don't look at Peter and don't talk to him unless he talks to ya first. I'm trying not to be as much of a hard ass as I used to be but I'm still pretty damn protective when it comes to my mate. You understand?" They nodded and backed away. "Pete, you know the drill."

Again, I couldn't resist the "Yes, sir" that popped out as I followed him out of the tree and stood behind his right shoulder at attention. I saw that filthy smirk as he sent me his lust and caught my eye. Apparently this new Jasper isn't as opposed to being in charge as he would like me to think. Good thing to keep in mind. I noticed the boy in front of us had a grimace on his face as he avoided our eyes. Wonder what Jasper was thinking about just now. I swear if the kid could blush his face would be bright red.

"He's, uh, thinking about mating with you. Um, I wasn't sure two males could do that kind of thing. I wasn't raised that way when I was a human and I've, I mean I've never, uh... never mind." the kid trailed off and looked down at the dirt beneath his feet. As he did I noticed what he was wearing- some expensive looking black leather shoes, all shined up even after running who knows how far. A dove grey suit complete with vest and a tie. Who was this kid? Why did he dress so fancy? And what the hell was up with those freaky looking eyes?

"Look kid, you don't like what ya see in my head, you might wanna stay out. I've seen more shit than you can even imagine. And what did I tell you about talkin' to my mate? I thought you were the smart one but now I ain't so sure." Jasper stared him down, looking more like the Major every minute.

"I'm sorry sir, I have a bad habit of responding to thoughts, especially when they are directed at me. I apologize for offending you. You and your mate both have similar questions about us, may I address some of your concerns?" God this kid was polite. My ma would be proud of him, too bad I ain't nothing like that now. Guess hard livin' and war will do that to you.

"Sure kid. Use them fancy words of yers and fill us in. Why the hell do ya have piss-colored eyes and where the hell did ya get them fancy clothes?" Ok, now Jasper is just messing with him. But God I love when he pulls out the country boy act. I'm sure he could feel my lust when he sent his amusement back to me. Damn, we really gotta get us a meal and get somewhere private.

"Um, well, sir, we have topaz colored eyes instead of red because we only drink the blood of animals, not humans. My father feels it helps us keep our humanity, and it also allows us to settle down in the same place for several years without drawing attention to ourselves with a rash of murders in our wake. He has never drank from a human in almost 300 years of his immortality. He works as a doctor for the humans and we integrate ourselves into the day to day life of the community around us. My mother attends sewing circles and does volunteer work for various ladies' organizations. My sisters and brother and I also attend the local high school. We are a very close-knit family and we live a very civilized existence, far different from most vampires today." Edward's speech seemed a bit rehearsed, like he's tried this sales pitch on every vampire he meets. It's quite obvious he thinks much more of himself than he does his red-eyed brethren.

I saw him cut his eyes to me as I finished my thought but he wisely held his tongue from replying. His "sister" however was still living in her own world and she cut in again, "Why can't I see you? I can't see if you're going to decide to join us or if you'll go on a murder rampage and take out half the city." She turned to me again, "Is it your stupid shield that's blocking me? Why are you doing that?" and just like that the Major is back and has the pixie's throat in his hand as he lifts her 2 feet off the ground. I'm really beginning to think she is related to Maria. Same short stature, same black hair, same stupidity...

He pulled her face toward him until his nose was about 2 inches from hers and let out a loud roar. Guess the little seer didn't see that one coming! She let out a squeak (probably all she could manage with his hand tight on her throat) and began kicking around trying to get free. Edward wisely dropped to his knees and bared his neck toward my mate as I showed him what to do in my mind. Maybe some kinds of stupid can be fixed, just not others. I kept my position and fed my mate my feelings of safety and calm, trying to bring him back down before he ripped the girl apart. Yellow eyes or not, they were part of a large coven and we really didn't need the trouble.

The Major took a deep breath before dropping the girl down beside her brother and stepping back toward me. Reaching back, he took my hand in his and laced our fingers together. In a deadly calm voice he continued, "What did I say about talkin' to my mate? Now, if you don't mind, we are gonna turn around and head out. If this is where you're gonna be settlin' we are gonna be anywhere but here. Good day."

With that, he turned to the northwest and took off at a dead sprint. I was hard pressed to keep up with him even though I knew he wasn't running at his full speed. I just hope we never cross paths with those crazy vampires again, I have a really bad feeling about that little seer.


	5. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story line, SM owns the characters I'm just having fun with them._

**Jasper POV **(finally, I know)

As Peter and I ran north toward what I hoped was another state with more cities we could get lost in, I couldn't stop thinking about what the little mind-reader had told us. I had been a vampire for a long time and while I had a lot to feel guilty about, my feeding habits had never been an issue. I was a little more particular than others about choosing my victims- I never drank from children, not out of any sense of nobility, more out of the fact that they just weren't that filling. And you had to be careful to drain them completely because if you screwed up and let one change you'd be in a heap of trouble with the Volturi. I also didn't drink from pregnant women, because I grew up on a farm and I knew the importance of breeding. We would never slaughter a cow that was still carrying a calf- that's just wasteful. So I carried the same beliefs over to my new diet when I was changed.

Peter was a little choosier than I was, he wouldn't drink from a woman at all, he said they all reminded him of his late wife, Charlotte, who had died giving birth to his first child. That had led to his depression and drinking which is how I ran across him passed out behind a bar in a dirty little border town in south Texas. His soul-wrenching misery had drawn me in originally but when I looked in his eyes I felt the mating pull and changed him on the spot. I was pleased he ended up such a good soldier and asset to the army because I would have had to fight Maria for him much sooner if he hadn't shown any promise. As it was it took her years to discover he was my mate; it was much easier for both of us when she just thought he was my Captain, my best officer, and favorite lover. It was only her sharp eyes on me during a particularly intense battle that led her to discover our connection.

I had seen Peter go down with ten newborns piled on top of him and I abandoned my own post and went to dig him out. He was hurt pretty severely and after guarding his body for the rest of the battle I took him away to tend his wounds. She immediately tried to order him killed, we normally didn't waste time on the critically injured, but after I snarled and snapped at her enough she realized he meant more to me than she had thought. That was about five years ago and when she started plotting his destruction. If she knew anything about mates she would have known she was planning her own destruction and not Peter's, but she never did waste a lot of time on intelligence, that's what she had her officers for after all.

Speaking of connections, that was the other reason I couldn't get those yellow-eyes out of my mind. When I was about to tear that girl apart, the boy was oozing such fear and grief for her that I would have thought they were mates as well. But they both only held familial love for each other, something I had only seen in humans, never vampire covens. He called her his sister and based on his emotions that was truly how he viewed her. I was reminded of the three little curly-haired girls at home with my mama when I rode off to join the army. They were 6, 8, and 10 at the time and I loved them so much it physically hurt to turn my back on them when I left. I can still see their tear-stained faces in my mind but their names are lost to me forever. I couldn't imagine holding another vampire to that same level of affection and esteem that I placed on my biological sisters.

So what made this coven so different? How did six vampires, at least two of them gifted, escape the notice of the Volturi? How did they develop such deep feelings of love for someone other than their mate? And why did my heart clench each time that boy referred to his father? I didn't remember my father much. He died while my mama was carrying my youngest sister. I was helping him with the horses and he wouldn't let me break the newest mustang we had brought in. He was afraid I would get hurt and instead he fell and broke his neck, leaving me the man of the house at just ten years old. I'd never had a strong male role model after that. Mama never remarried while I was home, and after I joined the army they promoted me quickly so I had to step up and be in charge instead of following orders like everyone else. Maria took me under her wing when she changed me but she had a very strict tough love approach, and I killed the other vampires with me until she moved me up in rank as well.

I didn't realize I had slowed down until I came to a stop and felt Peter's curiosity drift over to me. He was patiently waiting for me to finish thinking, he always knew when I was, and he would never push me to share before I was ready. As I looked at him I thought about what he had told me of his own father. He had been an alcoholic who beat his mother and Peter until Pete was big enough to fight him back. When he was twelve Pete took a knife to him and killed him in his sleep after the bastard had beat his ma unconscious and killed Pete's little baby brother. The kid was only 2 and was crying because there was no food in the house. To say Peter had no use for a father would be an understatement. He told me he had bowed to no man until he met me, but he had no trouble submitting to me in every way. I guess it's a mate thing, but we seemed to be just what the other one needed. I wonder what he would think if he knew what I was considering.

"Peter- I don't know what to say right now..." I drifted off trying to compose my thoughts.

"You want to know how that boy has a father and whether you could submit to another's authority over you." Wow, that man really does know me better than I know myself.

"I, well... yeah. I just... I don't..." Still can't get my mouth to connect with my brain right now.

"Look Jasper, I know all about you. I know you've never had anyone to look up to. I saw how that boy idolizes his father and I know it had to get your curiosity peaked. I just don't know what you want to do about it. It's not like we can knock on their door and ask if they take in stray war veterans as orphan wards. To be honest with you, with their weird yellow eyes and animal blood diet they sound more like a strange religious cult than a vampire coven. But even if they are normal people, nobody is ever gonna be able to look past our scars and our history and take us in like their own. You know that, deep inside, you know that."

I did know that. I knew my reputation would precede me and my body spoke for itself. You don't get this many bites and survive unless you're the most dangerous creature out there. I thought back to the one person besides Peter who actually saw me for myself and gave me hope there might be more to life than blood and war. Garrett had crossed my path when Pete and I were on our way back to camp one day. He had escaped from a neighboring warlord and made the mistake of falling into the viper pit that was Maria's territory. Despite all that, despite the recognition in his eyes when he caught sight of me, he never once feared me, never once tried to run from me. He stood still and submissive and just started talking to me. He told me about life in the north, about his history starting in the Revolutionary war, he complimented me on my record, both in the War between the States, and the Southern Wars. Instead of seeing me as a rival vampire, he treated me as an esteemed colleague.

I had felt Peter's respect and curiosity as he talked and that, along with my own, was what spared his life when Maria told me to kill him. I walked him to the border, gave him a new set of clothes, and burned his old ones along with a lock of his hair to give me enough smell of smoke to make her think I'd done my job. I didn't tell Pete because I didn't want him to think me weak, I should have known he would appreciate the gesture for what it was though.

There was this small sliver of hope that Garrett had begun, our escape from the South had nurtured, and our brief run-in with the yellow-eyed vampires had caused to sprout. I couldn't stop thinking about the possibility of a family, even public school like they had talked about. I looked young enough to pull it off and I had never been to school past the 6th grade so many years ago. I had this big vampire brain, what would it hurt to fill it up with some knowledge of something outside of war? I turned to my mate again and looked into his eyes but before I opened my mouth he spoke.

"We're goin' back to Springfield aren't we?"


	6. Chapter 6

**_A/N: Ugh, this chapter gave me fits- it was sooo hard to write. But it's an important transition chapter and hopefully things will start to pick up a little faster from here. Let me know what you think!  
_**_Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story line, SM owns the characters I'm just having fun with them._

**Peter POV  
**"We're goin' back to Springfield aren't we?"

I really didn't like this idea. I couldn't see anything good coming from associating with that strange coven. If the two we had met were any indication they were a crazy bunch. Unfortunately, I knew my mate and I knew if he was even stopping to think about it then his mind was already made up.

"Pete, I just want to meet the others and see how the group as a whole interacts together. I might need to apologize for attacking the pixie seer but the idea of a family intrigues me. I know they may not accept us but who's to say we can't build our own family? What about that?"

I could see how hard he wanted me to try this, look into this crazy idea of vampires acting like humans, but for the life of me I could not stop the hurt from building in my heart. Why was it as soon as we escaped the hell hole we were living in, I was no longer enough for my mate? Why did he suddenly need more than I could give him? For the first time in my immortal life I suddenly felt unworthy.

As I dipped my head to hide the tears I could feel building up in my eyes I felt my mate's arms wrap around me and feel the purr build deep in his chest. "I'm so sorry Peter, please don't feel like that! You are my whole life, my only reason for continuing to exist! You know I love you, right? I would do anything for you- anything you need. All I am asking is that you do the same for me. Can you do that? Can you at least think about it?"

Damn, talk about a guilt trip, Major. I knew he was right though, he had sacrificed so much of himself just keep me alive back in camp. I don't think he even knew who he was anymore and the past few weeks he was trying to figure himself out and redefine our relationship all at the same time. I pulled back and looked in his eyes, shocked to find a lost little boy staring back at me. He looked so vulnerable I couldn't do anything but nod my head and agree with him.

"Can we at least stop for a bite to eat first? Maybe find somewhere to be alone for a little while? Let me take care of you Jasper, I need you right now." Or at least, I needed him to need me.

We headed back toward the nearest town we had passed while running and found a run-down bar near the railroad tracks. Drunks were always the easiest prey and my personal favorite choice of victim. Each drunk man I kept from going home was one less mother and child that would get a beating that night. That was my philosophy anyway. I stuck my hand in my bag and fingered the tarnished pocket watch that was my last link to my human life. It was the only thing of value my Pa gave me, and I had to steal it off his dead body after I killed him. I tried to give it to my Ma but she wouldn't take it; she told me to sell it and use the money to buy some food but I kept it hidden for years. I made it my mission to deserve that watch in a way my Pa never had. Real men carried pocket watches and real men took care of their families. When I married Charlotte she took that watch and had it cleaned up and my initials carved in the back- P.W. I wish I could remember what the W stood for but I lost that memory in the burn when I was changed. Jasper said it didn't matter, I could use his name, Whitlock, and the initials would still match. Just one more thing he gave me.

I was brought out of my musing by the sound of the back door opening and a drunk man stumbling out. I looked at Jasper and he cocked his head to me, wanting me to take this one. I grabbed the back of the guy's shirt and pulled him between us and asked if he would share with me. Keeping my eyes locked on my mate's I waited for him to bite on his side before I sunk my teeth in the smelly neck before me. I loved sharing meals with Jasper; feeding and fucking always goes hand in hand for mated vampires.

As the body ran dry, I tossed it away and leaned over to lick a stray drop of blood from the corner of Jasper's mouth. He pulled me in for a bruising kiss, tangling his hands in my hair while I reached for the waistband of his pants. He groaned when I pulled away from his kiss but growled when I dropped to my knees in front of him. Just as I got his pants opened, the door behind us banged open and I heard a startled voice say, "What the hell is this? Get away from that boy, what do think you're doing?"

Jasper looked at me and rolled his eyes. "Guess we're not done eatin' yet, huh? We WILL pick this up later, ok Peter?" he said, before we each grabbed one of the men who came out and made quick work of our supper. We took the gun from our first victim, and put it in his hand after shooting our other victims in the chest and then shot the gunholder in the head. Arranging the bodies to look like a gunfight gone bad we took off running toward Springfield. I guess scenes like this is why that boy said they drink from animals. I wonder if they drop the deer carcasses off at the butcher on their way into town or what.

**Jasper POV  
**I could tell Peter was frustrated by our interruption earlier but I kept thinking over what that man had said. He called me a boy and he thought Peter was hurting me or taking advantage of me or something. I didn't really know why it mattered but it made me nervous about what would come of our relationship if we did indeed join the everyday human world. I already knew from Edward's reaction that he didn't approve of Peter and I together, although I honestly didn't care what he thought. But tonight's experience made me realize that we might have to act different around humans than we would around other vampires. I had a feeling that living in the human world would mean conforming to what they considered "normal" and I was pretty sure a 19-year-old boy and a 26-year-old man would not normally be involved romantically.

I had already been forced to hide my feelings for my mate for years, was I really willing to go through that all over again? Was an education and the possibility of a family really worth that? I guess what I had to think about was what was more important, what the humans around us thought, or what my mate knew to be true. If I could reassure him at home, would he be willing to back away in public? Denying my mate was the same as denying myself, and what would that cost me in the end?

Peter and I ran back into Springfield in the early morning, just after dawn. The humans were mostly still sleeping but there were enough out and about that we had to slow to a human pace as we entered the sleepy streets. I had decided to pick up the trail of those two vampires and see if I could find where they were going to be living. I wasn't sure if they would be there but we could always wait for them to come back. We had passed the tree where we met them before and continued to follow their trail around to a large house on the edge of town that bordered the forest to the north. Made sense for vampires that would need lots of animals to survive, even if it did seem wasteful when they had a whole city in front of them ripe for the pickin'. No one was home but the scents were all over the house and grounds, along with two more unfamiliar vampires. Others of their family? I could feel Pete's nerves pick up as we encountered the strange scents but taking his hand in mine seemed to ease his worries.

"Guess we'll wait here for a bit. Pretty nice place they got here, huh?" I asked Pete.

He looked around between the house and barn. "Yeah, between this and them clothes they were wearin', they obviously ain't hurtin' for money!"

I settled down under an elm tree in the back yard and held my arm out to my mate. "Come sit with me for a bit. I don't think we've just sat together since the morning we left." I pulled him down between my legs with his back against my chest, his favorite way to sit, and put my arms around him . Setting my chin on his shoulder I took a moment to just breathe in his scent and calm myself. He leaned his head back against me, shutting his eyes, and for a moment I wondered why on earth I would ever want more than this. We sat peacefully together for several hours as the sun rose and the sounds began to pick up in the town below us. Just as Peter sent me another wave of his love I felt six new vampires on the very edge of my gift and sat up straighter, looking toward the northeast where they were approaching.

"I can feel 'em comin' Pete, so that boy can probably hear us now. Let him know we ain't lookin' for a fight, we just want to talk." I said as I stood up, pulling him with me. I made an effort to look relaxed while still keeping myself ready for a fight, while Pete stood at attention just behind my right shoulder. I appreciated him knowing I wasn't ready for him to face this strange group by my side, it was taking all my self-restraint not to slip totally back into my role as Major.

As they broke through the trees in front of us I saw the boy and girl from before on either edge of the group, with two more mated pairs in the middle. The tall blonde male and huge black-haired male immediately put themselves in front of their mates while still trying to make themselves look non-threatening. I guess the boy had instructed them on who we were and what to do. They stopped about ten yards in front of us and studied us for a minute before the blond male stepped forward with a warm smile and held his hand out to me.

"Hello son, my name is Carlisle Cullen. I'm very pleased to meet you."


	7. Chapter 7

**_A/N: the Cullens are here! I will add they will be slightly OOC here, I think Jasper would never have followed Carlisle if he let Edward walk all over him like he did in the books. Carlisle is the coven leader so I'm just giving him his balls back. _**

_Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story line, SM owns the characters I'm just having fun with them._

**Peter POV:  
**I had to choke back a growl seeing that man reach for my mate but I knew as soon he called him "son" I was royally fucked. No way were we walking away from here. Edward cut his eyes to me and nodded imperceptibly so my mate's thoughts must be along those same lines. Still, I almost fell over in shock when Jasper stuck his hand out and replied, "Hello sir, I'm Jasper Whitlock and this is my mate Peter."

Sir. He called the fucker "sir." What the hell? The Major IS sir, he doesn't call people sir! Especially not some piss-eyed kid that looks younger than me! Edward shot me a frown at that. Well guess what you little brat, I have been holdin' my tongue for the past 20 years. I ain't about to start censoring my thoughts too! So fuck you.

Jasper must have picked up on my inner turmoil because he stepped back and pulled me up beside him, wrapping his arm around my shoulder. He leaned in and whispered so faint I could barely hear him, "You ok Pete?" I took a deep breath of his scent and tried to calm down as I just nodded to him. I wasn't ok, but this was neither the time nor place to address that.

The blond prick brought our attention back to him by introducing us to the rest of his so-called "family." His mate, Esme, was probably close to my age but she managed to remind me of my Ma somehow. The big guy, Emmett, flashed a dimpled smile as he was introduced, but his mate Rosalie just turned her nose up and ignored us. Good, I have an ally- she doesn't want us here anymore than I want to be here. Alice, the little pixie brat was still glaring at me from her spot next to Esme so I guess she didn't learn her lesson last time and she still doesn't like my shield. Too bad, so sad. Edward was now fighting a smile at my opinion of the group and he caught my eye and nodded again so I guess I must be right.

Esme stepped up next to her mate with a huge smile and said, "I just can't believe you are the famous Major from the Southern Wars! You look like such a sweet boy! And so young too! I heard you served in the Confederate army as well before you were turned, you must have been very mature for your age. I'm sure your mother must have been so proud of you."

Jasper ducked his head a little and tried to brush off her praise, "Well, ma'am, she was mighty ticked at me when I left seein' as how I was the man of the house, but she was proud of me for servin' and I'm sure the army must have let her know when I got promoted to Major." At this I sent him my pride and love; my mate was the youngest major in the Confederate army, and they didn't even know that he was two years younger than he told 'em!

"Oh, that's just wonderful! But where are my manners, would you like to come in and see the house? We don't have a lot of our furniture here yet; we just jumped up and left as soon as the children came home as we were hoping you would come back to see us. Carlisle and I haven't actually seen it yet so we can all tour it together. I do hope you will stay here with us for a while so we can get to know each other." Esme continued on, "Peter, I would love to hear more about you as well. You must be a remarkable young man to have caught the Major's attention!"

"Well, I don't know about that, ma'am. I wasn't much to look at when he found me, but he is definitely the best thing that has ever happened to me. I would be lost without him." _And as nice as you are I still won't let you take him away from me. _

**Jasper POV  
**I was reeling with the different emotions surrounding me at the moment. Peter was more tense than I had ever felt him, including during battle. I'm not sure what had him so worked up but I felt his anger shoot up when I introduced myself to Carlisle. I'll have to talk to him later when we can get some privacy and try to see where his head is at.

Carlisle and Esme are like nothing I have ever encountered. I had expected to be met with fear or disgust as I made no attempt to hide my scars. Instead, they both radiated acceptance and welcome, and Carlisle was just bursting with curiosity. When he called me son there was not an ounce of deceit in him and for a moment I could imagine sitting with him in his study, talking about whatever fathers and sons talk about. I really liked that thought.

The other vampires had mixed reactions. Alice was still hostile toward Peter but I was doing my best to ignore her as I could feel his amusement at the situation. Emmett seemed open and looked like a fun guy, despite his imposing size. His mate Rosalie was projecting disdain and the disgust I was expecting. Edward was pleased we had shown up and occasionally I felt some camaraderie directed toward my mate. Maybe he and Peter can become friends. Pete has never opened up to anyone other than me, if I can show him this situation can benefit him too maybe he will be more open to staying.

Staying? Where did that come from? I really had only planned to come here and meet the coven but as soon as Esme asked us to stay I was already banking on it. This couple just filled some void I didn't even know I had in me for so long. Carlisle was filled with understated authority, he led his coven (or family) and they obviously respected him. It was nothing like Maria where we had no choice- either follow or be killed. I can't imagine Carlisle handing out punishments like that bitch did either; I'm sure a stern word from him would be enough to correct any issues that may come up.

Alice must have finally reached her breaking point because I heard Edward say, "Don't do it-" just before her nasally voice jumped in. "Stay here? What do you mean stay here, Esme? They aren't a part of this family! They're human drinkers! And that one has a shield that keeps me from seeing anything, how am I supposed to know what's going on if I can't see?"

I tightened my arm around Peter and dipped my head down to his neck. I focused on him and the love he started sending, along with his humor. I knew part of him wouldn't mind me attacking the midget again but I needed to fight back the Major right now for the sake of the family. Carlisle's voice immediately whipped out more harshly than I thought he was capable of, "Alice Brandon, I _warned_ you about this. You will not disrespect anyone who is a guest in my home and you will _not_ disrespect _my mate_ or anyone else she offers hospitality to. _Is that understood?_" I fought back a smile as Esme's lust spiked; apparently she and Peter had something in common.

Alice's anger remained high but she ducked her head and muttered an insincere "yes sir" before stepping back behind Esme. I raised my head to look at Carlisle and figured I might as well get this out of the way. "I guess I should apologize for attackin' your girl there the last time we met. I'm sure you understand I don't take kindly to my mate being threatened by anyone. I hope you won't hold it against me."

Rosalie picked this time to chime in with her opinion. "Why? Can't he fight his own battles? I thought you were both soldiers, looks like he should be able to stick up for himself." I would have been offended except for the honest curiosity I could feel from her. She truly wanted to understand, even if her way of asking left a lot to be desired.

Carlisle started to reprimand her as well but I jumped in before he said anything. "Sir, if you don't mind, I can address her questions. It might help everyone to understand if y'all know us a little better and understand where we're comin' from." When he nodded I glanced at Peter for his acceptance as well and then began our story.

"I know Garrett told ya some of my story but basically I served three years in the Confederate army before Maria found me and changed me for one of her soldiers. She had been choosin' her newborns more carefully and she targeted me because of my rank as Major. She hoped my military skill wouldn't be lost in the change and it wasn't. I lost a lot of my human memories but every battle plan and strategy came right through with me. I didn't make a good soldier at first but once she figured out I needed to be in charge she kept more of her new recruits and camp was a lot less chaotic than before. By the end of my newborn year we had won 5 battles and had more territory than any other warlord in the south.

Years went by and I began to understand my gift a little better. Maria molded it into a weapon and even when the other warlords began to join forces against us they still couldn't win. I lived in a constant state of war for nearly 60 years before I found Pete here. I was ruled by emotions, the other vampires' as well as my own and all I felt was anger, fear, and lust. The only loyalty I had to anyone was to Maria as my sire, basically because I didn't know any better. I was out huntin' one night and ran across Peter and as soon as I saw him I was shocked by a wave of protectiveness that came from deep inside me. I knew immediately he was my mate. Maria had taught me about mates because we didn't keep mated pairs in the army. They were unpredictable in battle; they would break rank and defend their mate and leave us with a weak spot every time." I couldn't stop my mind from going back to the battle where I did just that and outed myself and my mate. I'm still glad I did it, I couldn't have lived anymore if I had lost him then.

"I bit him and carried him back to camp but I knew I couldn't let that bitch know what he was to me. Instead I told her I wanted him for myself, as a lover, and that he was off limits to the other officers. I had done this before so it wasn't a strange request, she just assumed I'd lose interest like I had with the others. Trainin' Peter was the hardest thing I have ever had to do in my life. I never dreamed I would find a mate in that horrible world, but findin' him and havin' to put him through fight trainin' and punishments was almost more than I could bear. Do you have any idea how hard it is to not only be unable to defend your mate, but to actually have to be the one to harm him with your own hands?" I had to stop there for a minute, overcome by the grief I felt remembering those days. Peter held me up and reassured me of his love and forgiveness. I could feel sorrow from the other mated pairs and horror from Edward as he saw what Pete and I remembered.

I looked up at them and cleared my throat. "Anyway, to answer your question, yes, Pete can fight his own battles. He is the best fighter in the south, other than me. I am the only person he has never beat but I think that's just 'cause he's a better man than I am and he won't hurt his mate for nothin'. But after all I've put him through, all the times I couldn't step up and save him, I have a real hard time not doin' everythin' I can to protect him now. I owe him that and much more. I owe him my life."


	8. Chapter 8

_Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story line, SM owns the characters I'm just having fun with them._

**Edward POV (what?!)  
**I was blasted with the images in Jasper's and Peter's memories and I honestly don't know how they lived through all that. I looked at Peter when I saw that facing his mate's punishments brought back memories of his father's beatings and I wondered if he ever told Jasper that. How did he get past that to forgive the man he loved most in the world? As if he heard my thoughts his memories abruptly shifted to what followed those punishments in the semi-privacy of their tent. The silent ministrations, whispered apologies, and heartfelt emotions passed between the two. He looked me straight in the eye and thought, _Don't judge what you will NEVER understand. We survived, which is more than any other person in that army can say. I knew he only did what he had to do and I forgave him before he did it. He knows that._

I nodded at him before looking back at Jasper. His head was tucked back in Peter's neck again and he was fighting back tears. Rosalie was wrapped in Emmett's arms as flashbacks of her own pain washed through her. Esme was aching to go over and comfort the soldiers but she knew she wouldn't be welcome yet. Carlisle was thinking about punishments he had witnessed during his time with the Volturi. He had never shared those thoughts with me before. A stray picture slipped through of him and Aro- what the hell was that? I looked at him but he avoided my eyes. Not sure I want to know what that was about.

And then there was Alice. She was pouting, still angry about being reprimanded and now irritated that someone else was the new center of attention. I could hear her thinking about opening her mouth again so I jumped in and said, "Alice, if you say what you are thinking I'm not sure Carlisle will continue to let you live here. You might want to go for a run and let yourself calm down a bit."

"You don't tell me what to do Edward. You're supposed to be on my side anyway. They shouldn't be here! They-" she cut off as Rosalie shot over to her and clapped her hand over her mouth.

"Ok, that's it. Emmett, Rose- take her back to Chicago. Start packing up the house and she can ride in the truck back here. Alice, you need to take this time to think about what you want to do. If you stay with this family you will learn some respect. I know you never met your sire but when I agreed to let you join us I expected you to treat me with the respect I deserve as coven leader." I had never seen Carlisle this harsh before. I wondered if he was trying to prove himself to the Major or if he was just that fed up with Alice.

Honestly, everyone was tired of Alice. For the past three months I was the only one who would even live with her. She showed up at our house in Forks, causing no small amount of problems with the local wolf pack, and invited herself into our family because she "saw" that she was supposed to be with us. When it came time to move, the mated couples each decided they needed to vacation alone for a few months so I ended up in my childhood home in Chicago alone with Alice. When it was just the two of us it wasn't so bad. We each had gifts that made us different so we found common ground in that. We also had similar taste in the finer things of life. I let her dress me as a gentleman and she listened to me play the piano for hours on end. Behind all that I had always known Alice to be selfish, I just had no idea how far she would take it.

**Jasper POV  
**After we watched the three of them turn back the way they had come and take off running into the forest, Esme clapped her hands together and faced us with a huge smile. "Now, how about that tour? Edward can show us around I'm sure, and we can tell you a little more about our family if you would like." I felt Peter relax a little more as she talked and I had a feeling my best chance of staying here was if I could get Edward and Esme to win Peter over. I'm still not sure if I could convince my mate to settle down even then.

Realizing that everyone was looking to me for an answer I nodded and turned to follow Edward into the house. I was so preoccupied I didn't realize I had turned my back on Carlisle and Esme until Peter pulled hard on my arm to turn me back around and let them go first. I truly didn't think they were a threat to us but I was surprised how fast I had let my guard down.

"So, since you shared with us some of your history, would you like to some of ours?" Carlisle asked us. After we nodded for him to continue he began his story. "I was born in London in the 1640's. My father was an Anglican pastor and as his son I led raids for vampires. As luck would have it, I found one, was bitten, and left to change alone. I knew exactly what I was and I hated myself for it; I did not want to be a killer. I starved myself for months, living in isolation as far from humans as I could get. Eventually I came across a herd of deer and was overtaken by thirst and began to feed. I realized I could survive on animal blood and therefore ease my conscience a little, even if my soul was still condemned." At this Peter caught my eye and I knew exactly what he was thinking, see- crazy religious cult. I told you so.

"Anyway, once I had my diet set I began to travel around Europe studying anything I could my hands on. Art, literature, and eventually medicine. I spent a few decades with the Volturi where they tried to convince me to change my diet and join them but eventually I had to move on, although Aro and I did remain friends. After I moved to America I was quite lonely. I met several vampires but none of them understood my aversion to human blood and we didn't spend much time together. I eventually decided to make a companion for myself, one I could offer the choice of diet to from the beginning and see how they would take to it.

"I found Edward in Chicago in 1918, he was dying from the Spanish influenza and both his parents had already died from the same disease. I knew he was alone and his mother had begged me to do anything in my power to save him. I bit him and he became the first member of my family. I had a little trouble with him as a newborn, learning to control both his gift and his bloodlust was quite a feat." Carlisle paused here and gave Edward a soft smile.

I had to ask, I knew Pete was dying to but I just had to do it. "So, I assume by Edward's reaction to mine and Pete's relationship that you did not use the normal method of blood and sex to get him under control? I'm fairly sure the Volturi would have taught you all about that right?" Pete had a huge grin on his face on my calling out the patriarch on what he was apparently trying so hard to hide. Edward and Esme were frozen in shock, I knew my questions would cause Carlisle's mental hold on his memories to slip so I was sure Edward was getting quite the show.

Edward finally broke loose enough to try to speak, "You... you... with Aro? And GARRETT? And the DENALIS? OH MY GOD! Is THAT why you changed me?! No, don't answer that. I don't want to know. First my human father beats the crap out me for not being "man enough" and playing my sissy music, then my vampire father actually turned me to be used for sex! Oh dear, I need to get out of here. I'm going for a hunt. Don't follow me." With that he turned and ran out of the house faster than I'd ever seen a vampire run, he might even be faster than me! Poor kid, I didn't mean to give him a complex.

I turned and saw Peter had a pensive look on his face and his emotions were in turmoil. He turned to Carlisle and quietly said, "Did he say his father beat him? I thought he was a rich kid?"

"Yes, I saw the marks myself when he was sick. He hit him where his clothes would cover it. His back was covered in bruises and old scars, I'm just glad he lost them when he changed. Even the rich among us don't make the best decisions. He was disappointed in Edward, though for the life of me I could not see why. He was a straight-A student, ran track for his school team, and was composing music on the piano as soon as he could sit at the keyboard. To me he has always been perfect. I did change him for a true companion but he was so young and pure and he shied away from even the most innocent touches that I couldn't bear to treat him as anything but a son. After I found my mate in Esme I was glad I never pursued him, it would have made life much more difficult if I had."

"I'm sorry, I hope I didn't cause more problems for you. But I do think he's been sheltered too much. With all the thoughts he's exposed to he probably needs instruction on what is true in this world." I wasn't sorry I made him open up but I was sorry for the pain it caused.

Esme was looking at her mate with huge eyes and still reeling in disbelief. Carlisle glanced at her before continuing his story. "So, a few years after Edward I found Esme and changed her, then Rosalie, and then Rosalie found Emmett after he had been attacked by a bear. She was afraid to change him herself so she asked me to do it. Alice showed up on our doorstep a few years ago when we lived in Washington state and said she had a vision of living with us and following our lifestyle and basically invited herself to join the family. And that's how we all came to be a coven. Any questions? No? Ok, so this looks like the living room. What do you think dear, new drapes for the front window?"


	9. Chapter 9

_Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story line, SM owns the characters I'm just having fun with them._

**Jasper POV  
**Well, this is awkward. I really hope Carlisle won't be too angry with me. I'm not exactly getting the best start with this family. So far he is just embarrassed and nervous, probably because Esme still hasn't moved at all. Her disbelief and shock are starting to morph into anger so I think she'll crack here soon. Peter is still staring out the door where Edward ran off with a strange mixture of anger, protectiveness, and longing. I had only felt this from him once before when we ran across a toddler that reminded him of his younger brother. I decided to take a chance and break the silence in the room.

"Uh, Pete? I'm sure Carlisle wouldn't mind if you wanted to go talk to Edward. He might need a friend right now who can understand what he's been through." I raised my eyebrows when my mate met my eyes and sent him some encouragement, hoping he would take this step forward.

Carlisle seemed to understand where I was going with this and jumped right in, "Oh yes, please do Peter. Talking to someone new would probably be helpful for him. I'm sure he doesn't want to see his mother or me right now." His voice trailed off as he glanced at Esme's darkening expression.

"I'm going into town to shop. Carlisle, I would like to speak with you in private when I return. Peter, Edward will be about a half mile from the house, in a tall tree somewhere. Tell him I love him and I will speak with him later as well. Jasper, thank you for coming by. The invitation is still open if you would like to stay here. I will see you all later." With that Esme breezed out the door like nothing was wrong but I could still feel the anger rolling off of her in waves.

Peter looked at me again in question, "Are you sure Major? I won't go too far, just holler if you need me ok?" After I nodded he pressed his lips to mine in a quick kiss and ran off into the trees. I couldn't help my nerves as he left my sight, this was the farthest we had been apart in a long time. My mind knew he was safe but my instincts were screaming at me to follow him. Carlisle cleared his throat bringing my attention back to him and I noticed he was filled with curiosity again.

"Can I talk to you about something now that it's just the two of us?" he asked. I nodded and he continued, "Let's sit in the dining room, I'm sure you would be more comfortable near the windows, am I right?" I hadn't thought about it but now that he offered I tried to remember the last time I sat down inside a building for something other than war planning. Maria had a small cabin with two rooms, one held her bed and the other a table where we would draw battle plans and formations. Sitting down in a social setting was as foreign to me as the fancy clothes the Culllens wore. Being inside made me feel closed in a little; it would take some getting used to.

We moved to the table and I sat against the wall with the window to my right and the door in view, and tried to calm my nerves from being away from my mate. "So what did you want to talk about?"

He seemed hesitant to start but he finally plunged in. "How much do you know about vampire mates?" Well, this wasn't what I expected at all.

"Well, just what Maria taught me. We had to know what to watch for in the newborns, the typical mating instincts and such. Why do you ask?" Now I was the curious one, where was he going with this?

"You know I spent quite a bit of time with the Volturi, and during that time I studied many aspects of vampire life. They have books and scrolls dating back many centuries that cover everything from bloodlust to mating to newborns, and everything in between. The reason I am curious about you and Peter is there are very few records of mated pairs consisting of two males. In fact, there are only two others still alive that I am aware of and both of them were actually part of a triad. Have you heard this before?" I shook my head, wondering what this meant for me and Peter.

"In the history of vampires, the most common groupings of vampires are mated pairs, or covens. Obviously the bond between mated pairs is stronger than between coven mates, but there is one bond that is even stronger than that. The triad is very rare, and the ones I know of are also very powerful. Have you heard of Jane and Alec? The vampire world knows them to be twins, but that is not actually the case. They are mated, along with another vampire named Felix, as probably the most powerful triad in history. They could easily take over rule of the vampire world but when Aro found out about them, he used them as leverage against each other and then used Chelsea to bond them to him. They serve him because if they don't he has threatened to kill Felix.

"The other triad you may have heard of but no one outside the Volturi knows the true grouping of the mates. You know Caius and Marcus are the other rulers along with Aro? They actually met each other long before Aro. They were mates for several centuries and when they found Aro's sister Didyme, they found the remaining piece of their triad. Marcus saw their bond of course, and turned them both when Didyme begged for them not to leave her brother behind. I was told they were a very happy triad for a long time, until Didyme was killed by werewolves in the 1600's. Caius and Marcus still had each other but they were never the same after that. Marcus is extremely depressed and Caius is constantly angry at the world. I think they would have left long ago but they are also bound by Chelsea to give Aro the illusion of more power. I can't say that I agree with his methods and it's one of the big reasons I chose to leave him, but that's all the beside the point. Do you understand what I'm saying and what it could mean for you and Peter?"

I thought over all he had told me and it slowly dawned on me what he was getting at. "You think Peter and I have another mate out there somewhere? And if we find her we could be at risk from the Volturi?" Fear for my mate squeezed my heart and I had to hold myself in my seat so I wouldn't run out and find him. I stretched my gift to see where he was and found him about a mile from the house, feeling conflicted and slightly worried. I wondered what he and Edward were talking about.

Carlisle was nodding and he looked me straight in the eye when he said, "I do think that, but I also think if the Volturi knew of you now you would already be at risk. They know more about triads than anyone else and all it would take would be for Marcus to see a missing bond and they would either kill you both or secure you into their guard. I think I know enough about you that you don't want that, am I right?"

I was already worried about the Volturi based on mine and Peter's gifts, but to know there could be another threat to us was hard to swallow. Carlisle continued, "Of course this is all speculation, but based on what I have studied I think it's a very real possibility. If you haven't felt the mating pull since you found Peter it's possible your other mate may not have been born yet, but I don't know that for sure."

I sat and considered all he had told me and wondered if this is what I had felt was missing. I knew Peter had been feeling inadequate but if we truly did have another mate out there then maybe I wasn't enough for him either. It was definitely something I would have to discuss with him. For now I wanted to talk to Carlisle about his lifestyle. Animal blood can't be that bad right? I mean, he's much older than I am and he's still alive and kickin'.

For the next hour we sat and talked about the merits of animal blood, the changes I could expect if I changed diets. Yellow eyes weren't the only side effect, apparently some of our vampire traits could be toned down by the difference in blood. I could look forward to less aggression, an easier bond with coven mates, and possibly reduced mating instincts. I wasn't sure I wanted to tell Peter about that one; I knew he liked my possessive side.

Carlisle thought some of Edward's issues could be traced to his diet and he often wondered if he did right by his first child. Edward really didn't know much about being a true vampire, he lived more as a human and suppressed most of his natural instincts. Carlisle told me he hoped our being there would help him get in touch with that side of his nature and maybe help him be more open-minded about his fellow vampires.

We discussed the possibility of Peter and I living here as part of the family and I had pretty much decided I at least wanted to try. It would take a few months for my eye color to change enough for me to go to school with the others, but Carlisle was concerned about how to fit Peter into their cover story. He thought Rosalie and I could pass for twins and with our blonde hair we could be Carlisle's younger siblings. Edward had posed as Esme's nephew in the past and it seemed to work well for them. Emmett and Alice were orphans picked up in another city that the children met at school. I suggested that Peter could be Esme's brother, but he was too old for school and I wasn't sure what kind of work he would want to do if anything. We would definitely have to talk about it alone.

Our conversation trailed off as we heard Peter and Edward heading back to the house. When they stepped in the front door Peter caught my eye still radiating worry and I found out why when Edward opened his mouth.

"Carlisle, I want to try human blood."


	10. Chapter 10

**_A/N: Welcome to all the new readers! Thanks for the reviews! I'm on a roll tonight so here's an extra-long chapter for you, didn't want to leave you hanging. Just don't hate me at the end ok!_**

_Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story line, SM owns the characters I'm just having fun with them._

**Peter** **POV**  
I was nervous heading back toward the house with Edward. We had talked about our human fathers and found we understood each other despite our differences. I told him how all my victims wore my father's face and helped me feel in some way I was avenging my brother's death. He asked about life back in camp and the different vampires I had known. I told him about my relationship with Jasper, and about my marriage to Charlotte. When I told him about the baby we lost he told me I should talk to Esme about it.

It didn't take him long to satisfy his curiosity about my life before he just started talking. He told me how lonely he had been in a house with mated vampires, and then with just Alice for company. He told me how uncomfortable he always felt and it seemed like no one understood that. He had been thinking a long time about seeing how human blood would affect him, but he didn't feel like he could disappoint Carlisle. Hearing human thoughts had made him almost change his mind when he would pass a murderer or child molester on the street and hear them thinking of their victims, but his loyalty to Carlisle's philosophy always held him back. He said that Emmett and Esme had both had several slip ups where they accidentally killed humans it had really taken a toll on the family. Carlisle claimed to offer them all a choice in what diet they wanted to follow but his guilt trips were apparently legendary.

The longer I listened to him I realized just how isolated this kid has been. He was a vampire that was raised in a human world; his family set themselves apart from humans but Edward was constantly surrounded by their thoughts, as well as his family's. He had no idea which way was up and which was down, what was right or wrong in either world. He was clinging to the Victorian ideals he was raised with when he was no longer even the same species that those rules applied to. Carlisle _knew_ what being a vampire meant but he had chosen not to instruct his family on all those details. Instead he encouraged them to suppress their instincts and strive to be human when it was an impossible goal to reach. On top of that, with Edward's gift he was forced to listen to each and every family member and no one ever thought he might need to speak as well.

Before we went back to the house he asked me if I wanted to try hunting his way. I figured it wouldn't hurt to try since Jasper was obviously planning on staying around here, so I followed him deeper into the woods and watched as he took down two large deer and drained them like he was a starving newborn. When Edward heard that thought he told me that animal blood met their needs and kept them alive, but they were never truly satisfied. This worried me some, we used starvation and bribery to motivate the newborns back at camp. It was a training method and/or punishment, not a way of life. And when I finally worked up the nerve to take down a deer of my own I almost spit the blood back out, it was so bad. I ended up letting Edward finish mine, I had absolutely no instincts to guard my kill that time. He was welcome to it.

We started walking at a human pace back to the house and I waited for Edward to start talking again but he seemed to be thinking hard. About halfway back he stopped and waited for me to turn around and look at him. His face was set in hard lines and I could almost feel the determination coming from him, like I had Jasper's gift. He took a deep breath and said, "I'm going to do it. I thought I had to be perfect for Carlisle but I don't know as much as I thought I did. I need to see for myself which way I want to live. Um, do you think you and Jasper could help me learn to hunt humans?"

Whoa, what the hell did I get myself into this time? On the one hand I knew Jasper was wanting to try this new way to live, but on the other I felt like this kid needed somebody in his corner. I mean, shit, he's been a vampire as long as I have and he has no idea what it really means! Jasper is probably gonna be pissed but I just can't tell him no. And I'm a little worried about him going off on his own, he could easily be killed by nomads and no one would know what happened to him.

I knew he heard my answer when I thought it but he waited for me to speak before he reacted. "I can't speak for the Major but I don't mind taking you off to hunt a time or two and see what you think of it. I doubt anyone else in your family will and you don't need to be goin' off by yourself when you have no idea what you're doin'. But you know Carlisle ain't gonna like this one bit, right?"

My warning did nothing to dim his smile and I thought for a second he was gonna jump up and down. I just shook my head and gestured toward the house, "We better get this over with I guess."

Walking in the house I was really worried about the reaction Edward was gonna get. He didn't help anything by how he announced his intentions either. He just walked right in, looked at his father figure and said, "Carlisle, I want to try human blood."

**Jasper POV**  
It was dead silent for exactly 4 seconds before all hell broke loose. Carlisle's rage almost knocked me over with its intensity but it was directed at my mate. "Peter, what did you tell him? Are you two just here to try to fuck up this family? What did we ever do to you?" When he took a step in Peter's direction I lost it and would have torn him to pieces if my mate hadn't wrapped his arms around me like iron bars and pulled me back. I knew right then that I was right about our fights- he was definitely stronger and faster than I was, he had just been going easy on me for the past 20 years. Talk about a kick to the ego.

"Major, you know you don't want to hurt anybody, and Carlisle is just angry right now. Focus on me and come back down, ok? I love you; feel that, please." Peter kept whispering in my ear and sending me waves of his love until I could think clearly again. I relaxed back in his arms and he kissed my neck asking, "You ok now?" waiting for me to nod before he loosened his hold.

I took a deep breath before I turned to face Carlisle. "What the hell were you thinkin'? After all that we talked about today, why on earth would you make any kind of aggressive move against my mate? You know I'm on edge and you pushed me anyway! You're lucky Peter stopped me, you know."

Carlisle was still angry but he was also shocked at how fast I had turned on him and how easily Peter subdued me. Edward hadn't moved since he came in the door. He stood with his head up, feet shoulder width apart, and arms crossed defiantly. I had no idea what he and Peter had talked about but somewhere out there the kid had found his backbone. Determination was his predominate emotion, with only a small undercurrent of fear.

"Look Edward, if this is some rebellious thing because of what you found out today, can we just talk through it? You know you don't really want to hunt humans, you're happy with our lifestyle." Carlisle was sure of what he was saying but I didn't think Edward would back down that easily.

"No, Carlisle. This has nothing to do with your lies, other than the fact I no longer feel the need to strive so hard to be perfect for you. This is about something I have been wanting to do for a long time and no one in this family would listen to me about. And ever since Alice showed up I couldn't even think about it without her jumping down my throat with her stupid visions. Talking to Peter today I realized that I am a vampire and I have no idea what a vampire really is. I have been trying to be a human for the past 23 years and enough is enough. Now I hope you will support my choice but I will do this with or without you." As he finished his speech I cut my eyes to Peter and felt his pride for the boy. I wonder how much influence my mate had on his decision but Peter has never been the pushy type. He mostly just shows you the answer and leaves it up to you whether or not you'll get there.

Carlisle's eyes hardened as he looked at his oldest son and I could tell he was about to make a huge mistake. "Edward, if you choose to disregard my rules and throw away what this family works so hard for, I can't allow you to remain here with us. I will give you some money to make your own way but I can't have you living under my roof while disrespecting what is sacred to me." Oh, great. That was real smart. Give a teenage boy an ultimatum and see how far that will get you. I know how far it got my Ma- got her down one son and she never saw him again. I really thought Carlisle was smarter than that.

I was a bit surprised when Peter stepped into their argument. "Now wait a minute, Doc. Are you tellin' me you will throw your "perfect" son out on the street just because he doesn't agree with you and wants to try somethin' that you claimed you were offerin' him a choice in when you took his life away and made him into somethin' you seem to despise? I think you were tryin' to make him into an angel because they don't have the luxury of free will. But this boy standin' here is a vampire, because of you, and he has a right to choose his own way." Wow. I never knew my mate to interfere with other people's lives but he is sticking up for this kid for some reason.

"Peter, this is between me and my son. I don't need your opinion right now." Well, now he's pissin' me off again. Is this what family is like? I never fought with Peter, we didn't find much to disagree on I guess. But these Cullens don't seem to agree on anything!

"Tell me this Carlisle," Peter continued, "If my mate wants to live here and suck down animals like y'all do, and I don't want to because they taste like shit and don't fill ya up, will you allow me to live here with my mate? Or will you force one or both of us to leave?" Good question. Is he really that much against it and how does he know what they taste like? Did he hunt with Edward? I fought back a flare of jealousy, I knew how much my mate loved me.

Carlisle stopped and looked between us. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a minute before steeling his resolve to answer. "Look, I have a right to run my house the way I see fit. I won't tolerate human drinkers living here permanently. If you want to live here you follow my diet. Otherwise, you can leave. Jasper, I won't tell you what to do. If you want to stay here and try our lifestyle, that's fine. But if your mate refuses, I can't allow him to live here with my family."

I looked at Peter trying to gauge how serious he was. "Will you at least try it Peter, I won't ask you to stay if you don't like it, but at least try it first? I really want to go to school and do somethin' other than fight wars. I don't like being a nomad and it wouldn't hurt me to change my appearance a little. The last place a warlord would look for me would be with a bunch of animal drinkers."

Peter shook his head at me sadly. "I did try it Major. I couldn't even get past the first mouthful. And I bet there are things Carlisle hasn't told you, like how the animal blood doesn't stop the thirst as well. I watched Edward suck down three huge deer, so tell me how thirsty he still is right now. Can you feel it?"

I could, it was causing the burn in my throat to pick up a little and it was hard to believe he had just fed. But I wasn't ready to completely give up this idea yet. I thought for a minute before I turned to my mate trying to come up with a compromise. "What if I stay here for a couple of months, try to see if I can get used to it enough to try school, and then if I can I'll come meet you and we can find somewhere to live together. I won't make you change your diet, maybe you can hunt in a nearby city or something. Edward can come stay with us if he wants, I don't mind that."

I felt the hurt building in my mate from the minute I started to speak and I wondered how royally I had just fucked things up. "You want me to leave you? You want to put other people above your mate? Did he brainwash you while you were in here alone Jasper, because I don't know who the hell you are right now. Maybe we do need to be apart so we can figure out who we are other than mates. Go be a good little school boy and I'll go be a vampire, ok. Edward, you comin' boy?" Peter's hurt was slowly drowned in his anger and when he turned on his heel he didn't look back at me once.

I ran out the door before Edward could follow and grabbed his hand. "Peter wait! Where are you goin'? When will you be back?" I stopped myself before I sounded too much like I was begging and waited for him to answer.

"I'll be close. Don't want to hunt too close to the _Cullen _territory but I won't be too far away from you either. I'll come check in on you in a few weeks if that's ok with your _daddy_. Just let me know if you want me to cover my scent or not." His eyes softened for a moment as he added, "Are you sure you won't come with us?" I just shook my head and looked down at my feet but he wouldn't let me get away with that. He jerked my head up and pulled me in for a bruising kiss, before he stepped away forcefully and took off running to the east. Edward looked at me and then at Carlisle who wouldn't meet his eyes. He shook his head and ran off after my mate.

Carlisle came to put his hand on my shoulder but I stumbled back a few steps before sitting on the ground hard. What the hell have I done?


	11. Chapter 11

_Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story line, SM owns the characters I'm just having fun with them._

**Jasper POV  
**I'm not sure how long I sat there on the ground but I did notice when Esme came home and got into a yelling match with Carlisle. She wanted to run after Edward but Peter had covered their trail so we didn't even know where they went. I think that fact hurt me more than anything else. Someone else was under my mate's shield besides me.

Sometime after dark I stood up and made my way into the house. I looked around at all the rooms but it didn't feel like a home without my mate. Carlisle came back to take me hunting and it was every bit as disgusting as Peter said it was. I tried to remind myself why I was doing this but it was getting harder every minute I was away from Peter. The pain in my chest got tighter with each mile he traveled and I wondered how far our bond could stretch before it would kill me. I drifted through the next few days before the rest of the family came back without noticing much that was going on around me. Carlisle tried to talk to me several times, once he even told me it was a good thing for Pete and I to be separated because it would be safer for us that way. But with the way I was feeling a death sentence seemed like mercy.

Emmett and Rosalie pulled into the yard on the 5th day after Edward and Peter left. They were driving a brand new Oldsmobile with more chrome on it than I had ever seen in one place before. Alice was right behind them in a black Ford pickup truck. The back was piled high with boxes and there was a large wooden cross tied to the back. I was beginning to think Peter's cult idea wasn't that far off the mark.

Alice had apparently filled them in on our missing family members since Peter's shield wasn't in her way anymore. She bounced around like a hyper butterfly, never staying in one place too long. She chattered on and on about decorating the house, clothes she was buying for everyone, and how much fun we were going to have when school started next month.

I ended up in a room on the third floor, with windows on two walls facing the woods behind the house. Esme put a bed in my room, which only reminded me of the fact that I did not need one, and Alice filled the closet with clothes I wouldn't have even stolen off one of my victims. Dress pants and black leather shoes, with high collared button down shirts that she was nice enough to point out covered most of my scars, even though they wouldn't be visible to humans. I really missed my old jeans but they had been trashed in my last battle and I had left all my boots back at camp. I thought I would have to drag myself shopping before school started so I would be able to recognize myself when they called my name on the role.

Life was settling into an uneasy routine; everyone tiptoed around me and no one mentioned Edward's or Peter's name where I could hear them. I was hunting every day to try to get a handle on the thirst that was never quite quenched by the animal blood and my eyes had already lightened to a muddy brown color. it was strange to see after having red eyes for so long. Carlisle had applied at the local hospital and enrolled us all in school; I was using my new name of Jasper Cullen, as Carlisle's brother and Rosalie's twin. I missed my name almost as much as I missed my mate but I had to see this through.

One afternoon about a week before school started, Alice came running down the stairs screaming that we had to have a family meeting. I was getting used to her dramatics by now and I knew her idea of an emergency could be anything from a ruined stocking to a messed up flower arrangement. I was not prepared for what she had to say this time though.

"Carlisle, I had a vision. We have to move immediately. If Jasper goes into town he is going to cross paths with his singer, who is also the daughter of the town mayor. She goes to our school and lives on the road we will use to get there so there is no way for him to avoid her. Her death or disappearance would be too high profile and might bring us under scrutiny so the best thing to do is relocate now before he slips up." Once her speech was done she sat back in her chair with a proud look on her face.

I was stunned. How could she predict me accidentally killing someone? I had mastered my control decades ago! Being in the army you get used to being starved and taunted with fresh blood. If I could resist that how could I not resist a school girl? Carlisle also seemed doubtful as he questioned Alice, "Are you sure about this? We just got everything set up here and I really don't want to leave without Edward." I cleared my throat and he added, "and Peter. Surely something else can be done."

"No Carlisle, I have seen it. If he doesn't go to school he will still see her in town, there is no way to avoid it if we continue to live here. We need to change states and do it quickly before school begins." Alice spoke like her word was final and I waited for Carlisle to chastise her again.

I was shocked when he nodded his head and told us to start packing up. "Wait!" I said, "Don't I get a say in this? I have never once had an issue with my control and I don't want to move away when I have no idea where my mate is! How will he find us if we go somewhere else?" I was starting to panic and thinking of how I could get back to my mate. I thought I might be able to use the mating pull but it had gotten fainter since I changed to animal blood and I wasn't sure how easy I could find him.

"Don't worry," Carlisle said, "We're not selling the house. We'll leave them a note here telling them where we're headed and they will catch up to us without a problem. I have to put the safety of the family first, I'm sorry Jasper."

With my heart breaking I went upstairs to pack what I wanted to take with me. I laid on the bed and began to sob when I picked up Peter's watch that he left behind.

**Peter POV  
**My rage began to fade as soon as I was out of sight of the house. I heard Edward coming behind me so I threw my shield around us, finding it was harder to cover him than it was to cover my mate. "Any idea where we're goin' kid? A city would be better, it's easier to hide the body count with a higher population."

He cringed slightly as I talked about his new diet but responded quickly, "I thought we could go back to Chicago. We'll have to lay low until the others clear out but we have a house there and I have money in the bank I can access easily for clothes and anything else we need. Will that work?"

"Sure," I sighed. Any place was as good as the next and it didn't matter without my mate there. The pain in my chest was excruciating and it didn't get any easier the farther away I got from him. I guess this is a pain I'm going to have to learn to live with. I thought several times about turning around and bringing my mate back with me forcibly but after the second or third time Edward spoke up and asked me if I really wanted to make him be with me. Would I really want him there if he did not want to be? I honestly didn't know.

When we reached Chicago I asked Edward where he wanted to hunt and he took me to a seedy part of town. We stopped in an alley and he closed his eyes, listening for victims I guess. "Listen Edward, I need to tell you a couple of things first. If you don't want your victim to struggle you can snap their neck before you start to drink. It will paralyze them but not kill them before you can get them drained. Make sure you don't put too much venom in or they will start screamin' and that brings people lookin' fast. And always drink until the heart stops beatin'. You don't drain 'em completely and you can end up with a newborn and that is the last thing you want to deal with. Any questions?"

He shook his head and I was impressed with his resolve so far. We'll see how far it continues once he has his victim in reach. I watched as he closed his eyes again and listened for a few minutes. He looked at me and said, "There are three men a few blocks over that raped a young girl last night. They are waiting in an alley for another one to come by because they had so much "fun" with the last one." His eyes were hard and determined so I motioned for him to lead the way. He walked right up behind the group, grabbed the first guy and latched on immediately. I hung back to see how many he would need and he grabbed the second as soon as the first was dry. He stopped after that one and motioned to the third guy with his head so I grabbed him and finally washed that nasty deer taste out of my mouth.

None of the guys had guns on them so we just knifed them in the belly and stole their wallets, leaving them laying in the alley. I watched Edward's face closely to see how he was handling his first kill and he didn't seem phased at all. "I'm not having second thoughts Peter, I actually feel good about that. Those men won't hurt anyone else and for the first time in my immortal life I am not thirsty!" I laughed at that and clapped him on the back. "That's great Edward. Now let's find somewhere to hide until we can get into your house and clean up."

* * *

We had been in Chicago about a month when the pain in my chest suddenly got worse and I almost went into a panic attack. Edward noticed my thoughts and ran upstairs from where he had been playing his piano. "What is it, what's wrong?"

I couldn't speak so I just thought to him, _It's Jasper. Something is wrong, or he's too far away. I can't breathe, it hurts too bad! We have to go find him!_

He didn't argue, just grabbed a bag and put an extra change of clothes for each of us and led me out of the house. We walked at a human pace until we reached the edge of town, then we broke into a sprint headed back to Springfield.

**Edward POV  
**I couldn't follow Peter's panicked thoughts anymore. It was a mixture of images and words and worries and I was really starting to worry about his sanity. I hoped Jasper was ok because I didn't know who else could bring him back and calm him down. For some reason his pain seemed to get worse the closer we got to the house which made no sense to me until we ran into the yard and I realized no one was home.

Peter ran into the house sniffing like a hound dog and made his way to what I assumed was Jasper's room. He let out a wail when he found it empty and I followed him to see him collapse on the bed breathing heavily trying to take in his mate's scent. I left him there and walked through the house trying to see what happened and where they went. They had packed up the personal items we always took from house to house, and about half the clothes as well. I checked Carlisle's desk and the safe to see if I could find some indication of where they had gone but there wasn't a note anywhere. I couldn't understand why they would leave us with no way of finding them. Did they really hate me that much? And what about Peter? If he was this bad, wouldn't Jasper be the same way?

My temper flared at the thought of my former father causing anyone this much pain on purpose. Surely there had to be some other explanation. I searched the house again on the chance I might have missed a note before heading upstairs to check on Peter. He was curled up on the bed with his face buried in a shirt that looked like nothing Jasper would ever wear but it must have carried his scent. His mind had calmed a little but all he was thinking was, _He's gone, he left me, he's gone_ over and over. I was at a total loss on what to do now. I couldn't think of any plausible reason for the family to pack up and move but a little voice in the back of my head kept leading me back to the most obvious explanation. Alice.


	12. Chapter 12

**_A/N: I know everyone is dying to meet Bella and I promise she is coming soon. After this chapter we'll skip over some time and catch up with her._**

_Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story line, SM owns the characters I'm just having fun with them._

**Edward POV  
**Peter didn't move for two solid days. At first I was giving him some space to hopefully bring himself back under control. He never spoke but his thoughts slowly became less panicked and more resigned. He truly thought Jasper didn't want him anymore and he didn't know how to process that. As I was looking through the room again I found a worn leather satchel tucked just under the bed. When I pulled it up Peter sat straight up and grabbed it out of my hands. He pulled out an old Confederate soldier uniform and when he unfolded the shirt a piece of paper fell out. His face fell as he read it:

_Pete,  
Guard my past and I'll guard yours. I hope one day you can forgive me for causing you so much pain, and I hope to see you very soon.  
All my love,  
Jasper_

He froze for a minute as his mind went over the note trying to make sense of it and then he dove frantically back into the bag digging around for something that he couldn't find.

"My watch! He took my watch! Why would he do that?" I saw a memory of a young Peter taking a dirty pocket watch from his father's body, then a beautiful blonde woman who must have been Charlotte handing it to him with his initials now on the back. Flashes of Peter and Jasper walking together and talking while one of them holds the watch, and finally Jasper telling Peter he could use his name. This memory seemed to have the most significance for Peter because he dwelled on it the longest. I saw where his thoughts were going and had to cut him off.

"Peter, I don't think he was taking anything away from you. He still wants you to have his name, he's not telling you goodbye with this. I think he just wanted to have something of yours close to him and he left something of his here for you. He didn't know when we would come back here but he knew you would find this and he wants you to have it. I still don't know what happened or where they are but I don't think Jasper had anything to do with why they left. He loves you, anyone can see that, and wherever he is I'm sure he's waiting for you." I could see that my words didn't make a lot of difference to him but he finally nodded and then curled back up on the bed with the shirt and the uniform.

"I just need to be alone for a little while. Can you give me some space please?" he asked in a strained voice.

I was a little worried he would take off if I left him so I decided to keep him in range of my gift while I went into the forest. "I'll just be out back, call if you need me and don't take off without me ok? You know we'll need to go hunt soon right?" He just closed his eyes and nodded so I reluctantly turned and went downstairs to leave.

I climbed up in a tree to think and I began to process the hurt I felt at being completely abandoned by my family. I knew that Carlisle was angry with me but I truly thought Esme would be able to love me no matter what. I could not believe she left without a word. The more I thought about it the stranger the situation became. Jasper obviously left Peter a private message with his bag, but he didn't say anything about where they were going. He did say he hoped to see us soon, so he must have thought we would already know where they were. Carlisle must have told him they would leave word for us somewhere. So what could have happened? Something didn't add up.

I had been sitting there for a few hours when I felt a new awareness at the edge of my gift. A vampire. I quickly ran back toward the house and realized Peter didn't cover our trail coming back here, he was too distraught at the time. Just as I began to panic that the only decent fighter between us was upstairs practically comatose I realized who I was hearing.

_Hello Cullens! Anyone there? Edward, can you hear me? It's Garrett! Mind if I come by?_

Relief swept through me. Maybe Garrett knew something, or at least he could help me with Peter! I walked toward him to meet him away from the house. When he came into view he froze in shock. _No way! Red eyes? What the hell?_ "Yes, Garret. I have changed to my natural diet. I assume by your surprise you have not seen my family in the last month or so?"

"No, I haven't. What's going on? Who else is here with you? I don't recognize the scent. Did you find a mate? Is that why you're not with the family?" Garrett was never short on words, I knew I had to jump in or we'd be out here the rest of the day.

"No, Peter is taken, we're just traveling together. You may not have smelled him before but you have met him and his mate several years ago. You were quite proud of the story. Your great escape from the Major of the Southern Wars?" I paused to let him connect the dots and watched his eyes get even wider.

"You mean the Captain and the Major are MATES?! How did I not see that? And what the hell are they doing way up here? Oh shit, he's not waiting somewhere to attack is he?" I almost fell over laughing when Garrett dropped to his knees and bared his neck saying, "I apologize sirs, I'll just be moving on. Not looking for trouble here."

"Garrett- stop! Jasper isn't here, and Peter isn't exactly himself right now. I was actually hoping you could help me out with him. Would you come up to the house and talk to him? Maybe you can get him up and moving again."

On the way back to the house I explained what had happened and why we were no longer with the family. Garret was furious with Carlisle and he was suspicious as well when I explained the strange disappearance of the family. I told him about Peter's memories of their escape from the south and he was shocked that the rumors he had heard were true. Then it was my turn to be shocked when Garrett asked me if they had found their "third" yet. He went on to explain about triads and what it probably meant for Peter and Jasper. I wondered if Carlisle had told Jasper all this. Since he was the one to tell Garrett I had to assume he told Jasper as well.

When we made it inside Peter didn't even react to the new vampire, which worried me more than anything else. Garrett asked me how long he had been this way and just nodded after I told him. He sat and watched Peter for several minutes before making a decision. "Captain!" he barked out in a harsh voice. Peter lifted his head at look at Garrett in confusion. "Get your ass up and stand at attention soldier!" I was shocked when Peter did exactly what he was told to do. Garrett was pleased as well, his thoughts showed he wasn't all that sure his plan would work.

With Garrett ordering him around we managed to get Peter up and his bag repacked. He kept the white dress shirt bunched up in his hand and sniffed it periodically. He reminded me of a child carrying a baby blanket with him. Sadly, his mind seemed to be on the same level. In order to get him to leave the room Garrett had to tell him that the Major was waiting and we needed to go hunt before we could meet him. After he hunted Peter's mind began to clear and depression took over. Garrett and I assured him we would not stop looking until we found the Cullens and his mate.

It took us three years of moving from city to city before we found their home in Maine. When we found it empty, the scents only days old, I thought we would lose him for good. But he just straightened up, swapped Jasper's old shirt for a new one, and said he was through looking. If Jasper didn't want him he wasn't going to force himself. We decided to stay there for a while making a dent in the local crime rate before moving on.

**Alice POV  
**I knew I had to do something to get my family back on track. I couldn't believe my own brother would betray me and take the side of those dirty soldiers. That stupid shield was in my way and I had to find a way to keep him out of my family so I could get my visions back. I was overjoyed when I saw that Peter and Edward left Springfield and Jasper stayed behind. I had to find out what was so important about him; he had been the first face I saw when I woke up from the change. A vision of his fierce face staring at me with hard black eyes and golden curls blowing in the wind. I originally thought he was to be my mate but when he showed up with Peter I knew it was something else. Maybe he was my key to gaining power. I would mold him within the family and when the time was right I would take him to the Volturi. With my power and his they would surely give us a position of power, maybe even a throne! I just had to get his mate off his mind first.

Destroying Carlisle's note in Springfield was stupidly easy. The satisfaction I got when Jasper waited for months and then years without his mate showing up was priceless. I did have to act quickly again when I saw our future disappearing; Peter must be close. I staged a "slip" on Emmett's part by sticking a bleeding man on the side of the road where Emmett walked home from school. We had to jump up and move quickly, and I had to again hide the note from Carlisle.

Without Edward here to keep tabs on my thoughts it really was too easy to manipulate these people. I wasn't sure how long I would be able to convince them of my visions of Jasper's weakness but surely he would slip eventually right? Nobody has that much control. Either way, he felt Carlisle's doubt of him and that was enough to make him shut up and go along. Now I just had to find some way to take out his other mate, I had my eyes open watching for her.


	13. Chapter 13

**_A/N: As for this chapter, I do not condone baby snatching in any form- vampire or otherwise ;)_**

_Disclaimer: __I own nothing but the story line, SM owns the characters I'm just having fun with them._

**Peter POV  
Boise, Idaho, September 1987**

_Eddie, have you seen my Van Halen t-shirt? You know, the one we got at that concert last month?_

"Yeah, Pete- I put it in the washer. You had blood on it. Why?" It never ceased to amaze me how Edward could carry on a mental and verbal conversation across the house without missing a note on his piano. I guess you could say he was slightly obsessed when it came to his music.

"I wanna wear it to the club tonight. Can I borrow your hairspray?" I loved the 80's. They were my favorite decade so far. Eddie had more fun in the 50's but I was born with 80's hair and I looked good in stonewash jeans.

"Yeah, just don't use it all up like you did last time. I need some too." Whatever. His hair looked the same no matter what decade we were in. He did manage to slick it back some when pomade was fashionable, but for the most part he looked like he just came running in at full speed. "My hair looks fine. You're just jealous Pete. I get all the attention from the ladies."

"You sure do and that's just fine with me. Fuck whoever you want to as long as it keeps me off their radar. You know there's only one woman and one man for me and I ain't met her yet and I ain't seen him in 40 years so you're the only one who's gettin' lucky around here." Thinking of Jasper always brought the ache in my chest back into sharp focus but I tried to push it away so Eddie wouldn't catch my thoughts.

I wondered if he missed me as much as I missed him and why he hadn't looked for me yet. We ran across the Cullens' path from time to time and Jasper always left me something with his scent and a few times he left me pictures or a short note. Nothing telling me where he was going or asking to see me but I guess I had to be grateful he thought of me at all.

Right on cue the pain flared up, but this time felt different. I felt the constant ache and tugging from Jasper just like always but there was a new sharp pain pulling me in the other direction, northwest I think. I felt a sense of urgency and for the life of me I could not figure out what it was. Just then, Edward burst into the room with my shirt in his hand and his eyes open wide. "Pete, let's go! That's your other mate! It has to be!" What? Is it possible? But why would the pain be so sharp and the urgency practically dragging me out the door unless-

"She needs me! We have to move NOW! I'm runnin'." Forgetting my shoes and the fact I had no shirt on, I turned myself over to my instincts and ran a straight line as fast as I could in the direction I was being pulled. Edward caught up to me quickly of course and I was grateful for his company since I had no idea what to expect when I reached my mate. My mate. I knew deep down it was true. The pain was easing the closer I got to the unknown destination, although the sense of urgency had not let up at all.

I'm not sure how long we ran before I was pulled to a stop outside a house on the edge of the forest. It was a simple two-story house in bad need of a paint job. I didn't smell any vampires around so my mate must still be human. I listened to the house and I could tell Edward was checking for thoughts as well. I heard a baby screaming upstairs and the sound pierced straight to my soul. Was it possible? Was _she_ the one? I crept around the side of the house and found the window open on the second floor. I jumped silently through and took in my surroundings. There was a wooden rocking chair next to the window and a simple wooden crib on the wall next to the door. The room was painted a drab yellow color but there were no other decorations in the room to indicate the tastes of the couple or their love for the baby who lived here.

A man downstairs was yelling, "Renee! Shut that baby up before I go up there and do it myself! I can't hear the damn game." I could hear who I assumed was "Renee" snoring in the room across the hall so she wouldn't be in here anytime soon. There was no one else in the house other than Edward who came in the window behind me.

I made my way to the crib and found myself looking into a tiny porcelain face with huge brown eyes. I hit my knees immediately, this was it. She was it. I briefly wondered if this was how Jasper felt when he found me but my attention was quickly brought back to the tiny girl in front of me. Edward hissed at me when I reached for her, "What are you doing?" But when I picked her up and brought her to my chest she immediately stopped crying and I was filled with an overwhelming sense of peace.

"Pete, I need to tell you something, but I'm not sure I should do it while you're holding that baby." Edward whispered to me. _Well, I ain't puttin' her down any time soon so just spit it out already. _"Um, the man downstairs, he's her father. And... he's drunk. If she hadn't stopped crying he was going to come up here and I'm honestly not sure what he would have done."

I focused on the fragile bundle in my arms and took a deep breath of her sweet strawberry scent. She didn't make me thirsty at all; her scent was just as calming as Jasper's had always been. _I can't leave her here Eddie, what am I supposed to do? _"Bring her with us. What else? I can hear you, I know you won't be separated from her and, honestly, she deserves better than these people. I can smell cocaine and marijuana in here and her father is obviously an angry drunk. If you leave her here you'll end up eating him for supper. Just grab her and we'll run home, ok? We'll figure something out."

I looked at him in shock. He really was a great kid, my little brother in every way he could be. _Thank you. You have no idea what this means to me. Just- thank you. _He nodded at me and whispered back, "Look, if we save her from what we both went through then it's worth it to me. She may not have a father but I'll be the best big brother she could ever ask for. And who can take care of her better than her mate? Come on, let's get out of here before someone catches us ok?"

I looked around the room to find a blanket to wrap her in and noticed her hospital bracelet sitting on the dresser. I grabbed it so we would at least know her name, along with some threadbare clothes that were sitting in the drawers. I couldn't find a blanket anywhere until I noticed Edward still holding my Van Halen t-shirt in his fist. _Hey- hand me my shirt, I'll put that around her. It's better than nothing right? _Seeing nothing else in the room of value we stripped the sheet off the bed and used it to wrap her clothes and diapers in. I knew we would have to find some bottles or something to feed her when we got home but for now we needed to disappear.

She began to whimper when I pulled her away from my chest to wrap the shirt around her but quieted again when I tucked her face into my neck. She took a deep breath and sighed before going back to sleep in my arms. Eddie nodded toward the window and I walked over and looked down. I was nervous about jumping while holding her but there wasn't much else I could do. I stepped gingerly out the window and landed as carefully as I could on the grass below. When Edward landed beside me we took off running back home.

**Jasper POV**  
I was out hunting alone when the pain in my chest dropped me to me knees. I curled up in agony, my chest was throbbing in two separate directions for almost an hour until suddenly there was nothing but peace. The phantom pull I always thought I could feel towards Peter seemed to have doubled but there was none of the aching loneliness I usually felt through the bond. I worried for a moment that something had happened and Peter was gone but the more I concentrated I could almost feel my heart beating again like I was human. I felt a fast, light heartbeat pulsing through my bonds and I wondered if it was possible- had Peter found our other mate?

**Alice POV (because everyone loves her so much) ;)  
**I watched the vision play out with satisfaction. The man stood up, threw his beer down, and stomped up the steps. He picked up the baby and began shaking her until her future went completely black. At least she won't be a problem anymore.


	14. Chapter 14

_Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story line, SM owns the characters I'm just having fun with them._

**Peter POV  
**Running home holding my newborn mate in my arms was an experience I will never forget. My heart felt almost whole for the first time in over forty years. I still missed Jasper and wanted him with me but I had my new mate to focus on and she needed all of my attention and my complete care. This time I was the one who was needed and I was the caretaker, teacher, and advisor. I would help my mate learn to live in this world and I would prepare her for my world when she was old enough to be changed. As the thought hit me I stopped dead in my tracks, still about a mile outside of Boise.

I looked down at the sleeping angel I was holding and thought, _she needs me._ She actually needs me. She cannot survive without me. Jasper always claimed that he needed me, that his life was meaningless without me, but when it came down to it, we survived just fine without each other. I mean, yes, I was miserable, but I moved on with my life and actually had a little fun moving around and exploring new places with Edward. But this tiny person I was holding was completely dependant on me for her survival. If I walked away, she would die. End of story. No over-dramatization, just the plain and honest truth.

Just as quickly as the awe wore off, terror rushed in. What if I wasn't good enough? What if I did something wrong and she ended up hating me? What did I know about a tiny human's needs? Maybe I should find a human family to give her to and keep an eye on her from the shadows, meet up with her later when she's older...

"Hey, Pete, stop it ok? You're making me dizzy with your thoughts churning so fast. First of all, look at her. Look how content she is with you. Deep in her soul, she recognizes you, she knows you will keep her safe and make her happy. Second, think about this. What if you give her to a human, let them raise her in their world. She falls in love with a family of mortals, and when you show up she resents you for wanting to take her away. Would you be able to walk away and let her live her human life without changing her?

"Wouldn't it be better to raise her with us from the beginning? Let her experience vampire life so it is all she knows and what she considers normal? Teach her everything before she is changed so she will know what she is going into when her heart stops beating? Think about it- her change would be nothing more than a temperature drop and diet adjustment. She wouldn't lose her family, her friends, her life; she would just grow into the life she is supposed to be living. You are irrevocably bound to her and I would say that based on her reaction to you she is just as bound to you. Will you give that all up based on your fears?"

He had a good point. I knew how much she already meant to me and there was no way I could walk away. I wasn't sure she would be leaving my arms anytime soon for that matter. She seemed happy and my purr seemed to be soothing her- _wait, how long have I been purring?_ "Since we left the house." _Oh, thanks Edward._ "No problem- let's just get home and get her comfortable and then we can discuss this more." With that we picked up running again and headed straight into the house.

Edward ran in long enough to get his wallet and the keys to the Mustang saying he would go out and find some baby books and whatever she needed to eat and stuff. We could go back tomorrow for the big stuff together. _Hey Edward- _I thought as he headed out the door. _I'm sorry we didn't make it to the club tonight. _He just laughed and said, "Believe me, I would rather find your mate than go to a club any day. I had planned on picking up a human girl to bring home but I think the one you found is worth so much more."

Now that I was alone with my mate I took her to my room to find her a place to settle in. I didn't have a bed, just a long couch and an overstuffed reading chair, so I took a thick quilt down from the closet and folded it up to put on the floor. I pulled the little bracelet from my pocket before I sat down on the floor and pulled my mate down from my chest to rest in my lap. I took another moment to study her; she was just so perfect. Wispy brown curls covered her perfectly round head, and her eyelashes fanned out so full and thick across her cheeks. I couldn't resist leaning down to place a gentle kiss on her tiny button nose and breathe in her scent.

"Well, little mate. I guess I should find your name out so you can get used to hearin' it. Let's see what we have here. Swan, Isabella Marie. Born Sept 13- wait, you're only four days old? Oh my goodness, no wonder you're so tiny. Well, Isabella, that's certainly a mouthful for such a tiny person. We'll see if we can't come up with a nickname. And your last name will have to change as well, this is the Whitlock Coven so you'll be a Whitlock too. Isabella Whitlock, I like that.

"Anyway, my name is Peter and I'm your mate. You don't know what that is but I'll explain it to you when you're a little older. What it means is that I am going to love you and take care of you and cherish you for the rest of eternity. We actually have another mate as well, and I love him very much too but I haven't seen him in a very long time. His name is Jasper, or the Major, and I really wish he could be here with us right now. He would love you so much and you would even be able to talk to him, he could feel exactly what you are trying to say without any words. _God_, I miss him so much. We have to find him, baby girl. He needs to be here with us."

I didn't realize my eyes were closed until I heard a small whimper and looked down to see wide brown eyes staring back at me. She had a frown on her heart shaped mouth and she was reaching her tiny hand up to me. I put my finger in her little fist and she brought it back to her mouth to suck on. For a minute I wondered what I tasted like to her, then I worried that my skin was too cold against hers, but she hadn't been bothered so far so it must not be too uncomfortable. I laid her down on the quilt in front of me and unwrapped my shirt from around her. I choked on a half growl/half sob when I saw her creamy skin. There were dark bruises on her arms and legs. Matching handprints spanned her entire torso with finger marks on her back and thumbs around her ribs. For a horrible moment I worried I had damaged my mate but as I looked closer I realized the bruises were already set in, at least a day old. My hands were also larger than the prints that marred her perfect skin. How could this happen? She has only been on this earth for four days and she was already hurt.

I started to move away so my anger wouldn't cause me hurt her even more but as soon as I stepped away from her she began crying loudly and thrashing around. I immediately picked her up and pulled her close to me. "Shhh, little one. It's ok, you're gonna be ok. Pete's not gonna let anyone hurt you ever again." I concentrated on her scent to calm myself and noticed I could smell the humans she was living with. Standing up I walked into the bathroom to get a washcloth and clean her up. After her sponge bath I manged to get her diaper changed, then I wrapped her in another one of my t-shirts. I was going to burn those clothes we brought and buy her all new ones with no ties to those monsters.

Just as I got her bundled back up, Edward came in with his arms full of bags and a pensive look on his face. He stared at Isabella for a minute and then turned to me. "I need to talk to you about something, Peter. It has to do with the baby.

"I realized when we were running home earlier that I couldn't hear any thoughts from her. I assumed it had to do with her age, as I had never really paid attention to babies before. But when I was shopping there were three other babies in the store and I was able to pick up thoughts from all of them. Some were just faces and colors, a few sounds, general thoughts of hunger; but your mate is completely silent to me."

"Is there something wrong with her? Does she need a doctor? Oh God, I can't lose her! What do I do? I-"

"Peter, stop! Stop! I don't think there's anything wrong with her- I think she's gifted! I think she's a shield, kind of like you, but she's going to be very powerful if it's already manifesting this early in her human life." A gift? I never even considered the fact that our mate might be gifted. I loved the fact that it was so similar to my gift, I can't wait to tell Jasper about it.

"Wait, Peter. That's something else we need to discuss. We're going to have to guard her closely until she's old enough to be changed. Most vampires would understand the situation but if the Volturi caught wind of it, she is way too vulnerable. I know you want to go look for Jasper again, but I don't think it's a good idea for the family to know about this yet. I'm honestly not sure if we can trust them to keep quiet, especially Alice and Carlisle. I think you should cover her scent as well, a human who smells like a vampire would raise questions for anyone who crossed her path."

Not look for Jasper? I didn't want to keep our mate from him but if it would be safer for her I had to think about it. Jasper could take care of himself, Isabella could not. Man, that name sure is long, what else can I call her?

"What about Bella? It's shorter, and I think it suits her- it means beautiful." Edward must have been following my thoughts again. But I liked it. Bella.

"What do you think little one? Do you want us to call you Bella? You certainly are the most beautiful baby I have ever seen!" I raised her face to mine and she looked so serious for such a small baby, her brown eyes just studied my crimson ones intently. As I lifted her my shirt shifted, exposing her right arm. Edward's eyes zeroed in on the bruises and his eyes turned jet black almost instantly.

"What the hell is this?! What happened to her?" He was so angry he was shaking and I slowly backed away with her, turning to put my body between them.

"It's bad Edward. She has more. Handprints on her body. Those so-called parents of hers had her less than a week and couldn't keep from hurting her for that long. I'm glad we found her when we did, I don't want to think about what could have happened. It's bad when a baby is safer with two human drinking vampires than with her own parents." I brought her up to my face to kiss her again but she surprised me by leaning over and sucking on my nose. It broke the sudden tension as Edward and I both broke out in laughter. "Well, I hope you brought Bella something to eat, she's about to take my nose off!"

"Yes, and I asked one of the moms how much she should eat so I'll go mix up a bottle and see how she likes it. Did you figure out where she can sleep?"

"Um, not yet. She hasn't really let me put her down much yet." And I had absolutely no intention of ever letting her go.

**Jasper** **POV  
**"Hey, Dad? Can I talk to you for a minute?" I was really not looking forward to this conversation. I knew what Carlisle was going to say, but I didn't know what he would do. Would he change his mind or react the same way he did when Edward came to him?

"Son, are you ok? I think you're projecting, I can feel that you're nervous." I tried to rein in my gift; that was another thing I wasn't happy about. I never had issues with my gift until I switched to animal blood.

"Well, I want to talk to you about something and I'm pretty sure you won't like it, but I hope you will keep an open mind." I paused until he nodded, and felt his curiosity change over to apprehension. I had carefully planned out what I wanted to say to him; I knew I couldn't mention anything about feeling another mate. We had talked several times over the years of the danger the Volturi would pose if they found out I was part of a triad. So I knew I would have to keep what happened to me while I was out hunting a secret from the family and try to use another method to get him to see things my way.

"Dad, I know we have talked many times over the years about my relationship with Peter. You and Esme have been very supportive when I have missed him so much I felt like it was killing me. I still don't understand why he and Edward never came to us back in Maine all those years ago but I never gave up hope that he would come for me one day. I realize he may not want me anymore, but I feel like I need to find him. See if I can't make things right between us again, and maybe if Edward is still with him I can get him to go back home to you.

"The only way I know of to find him is to follow my mating bond. But ever since I have been on this diet I just don't get a strong pull from him anymore. I get a general direction, east or west, but nothing definite enough to follow. Sir, I want your permission to switch back to human blood, just long enough for me to find my mate." With my speech out of the way I slowly raised my eyes to his and was shocked when I felt pity instead of the anger I was expecting.

"Jasper, son, I know you're lonely. But I think you really need to face the fact that your mate could have found you at any time in the past forty years and he _chose not to._ He has moved on, and he did that without you. What are you going to do if you give up all your hard work, track him down, and he sends you away again? You'll be completely alone then, no mate, and no family. What will-"

Carlisle was interrupted when Alice burst into the room and looked at me in a panic. "Jasper, what were you just thinking about? I had a vision of you with red eyes and you were fighting in the wars again! Why would you go back to that? I thought you hated that life!" What? I checked her emotions in case she was lying to me, but whatever she had seen had her panicked and angry. I still couldn't believe I would go back to the south again. Unless...

I didn't want to imagine it, but if I did find Peter, and he was happy with our new mate and didn't want me around anymore... The thought itself brought a sharp pain to my chest. I couldn't live with myself if I found out for sure that he hated me. I probably would go back to the wars, because it would be the easiest way to make myself disappear. Just step out on the field and let the newborns take me out.

I looked up at my father's horror-filled eyes and knew he was right. I couldn't leave my family for a mate who didn't want me anymore. "Don't worry, Dad. I'm not going anywhere. You're right, it was a bad idea." I resigned myself to my lonely fate, clinging to the fantasy that Peter might still come for me one day. If he did find me, I would do whatever it took to be worthy of my mates.


	15. Chapter 15

_**A/N: I have decided to skip a lot of Bella's growing up. There will just be this chapter and one more before we reconnect with the Cullens. I will probably do some outtakes of Bella/Peter/Edward during her younger years because I have a few scenes written and everyone seems to love this grouping. I'll publish those separately.**_

_Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story line, SM owns the characters I'm just having fun with them._

**Peter POV  
Colorado, 1999 **

Sitting in an alley in Denver waiting for my next meal to walk up, I was worrying about Bella back at home with Edward. It had been too long since I had fed, so they kicked me out of the house and told me not to come back until my eyes were red again. I wasn't used to being this far away from her, but we recently bought a ranch in the mountains and I had to travel farther to hunt. Bella wanted to get away from the city; she wasn't a huge fan of humans, despite being one herself. She was irritated by the women who stared at me and Edward, and she didn't like fielding questions about who her parents were.

After keeping her at home with us for the first five years, we had made an attempt to enroll her in kindergarten. It didn't work out so well. I sat in a tree across the street from the school and listened to her cry for me for an hour before I went back to get her. She wouldn't let go of me the rest of the day. The school counselors tried to tell us she needed to socialize more, but she told us the other children were smelly and too soft. When she complained of her chest hurting I was caught somewhere between proud and terrified- she was feeling the mating pull. After that we kept her home and Edward taught her at a much faster rate than the public schools. She was only 12 now and already finishing up high school.

Of course, she was much more interested in vampire history than human history. Edward constantly had to come up with new strategies for keeping her attention on the material. The only subject she would willingly study was the Civil War. She pored over countless books in the libraries we visited searching for a mention of Jasper's name. Every time she found one she would make a copy and put it in a folder. She would also sit and listen for hours while I told her about mine and Jasper's history in the Southern Wars, and I often caught her holding his uniform and gazing off into space. I had a feeling she was forming an opinion about Jasper and I wasn't sure it was entirely positive.

We had argued several times about going to look for our mate; she wanted to find him and ask him what his problem was. She didn't quite understand the danger of our unique situation. I only had four more years until we could change her without the Volturi declaring her too young. I wouldn't mind waiting longer, while she was counting down the days until her 16th birthday like a deadline. We had reached a tentative agreement to begin looking for Jasper when she turned sixteen, and then change her when we found him. We would use the remaining time laying low and letting her do basically whatever she wanted. Not like that was any different than the past twelve years- she was spoiled rotten and whatever Bella wanted, Bella got.

Right now she wanted me to start training her to fight. She had learned everything I knew about being a vampire and she wanted more. I only just started training Edward, which was something I should have done years ago. He loved fighting and picked everything up easily through his ability to hear my thoughts. I could show him in my mind exactly what to do and he could replicate it flawlessly.

I pulled myself from my thoughts when a sluggish heartbeat reached my ears. A homeless man was stumbling toward his nest at the end of my alley. I made quick work of him and as I was tossing him into the nearby dumpster I felt a crushing pain in my chest. I knew immediately it was Bella. Why did I leave her, I never should have left her! I flew across the rooftops to the edge of the city where I broke into a dead run heading straight home. I covered the miles in a matter of minutes, just a blur in the passing landscape. The pain in my chest was getting worse instead of better and I was terrified of what I would find. Skidding into the yard I couldn't comprehend what I was seeing. My eyes zeroed in on my little mate and I finally found out what Jasper felt like when his demon was released. It seems I had a demon of my own.

**Edward POV  
**"So what do you want to do with the prison warden gone for the night?" I was trying to cheer Bella up; she was missing Peter and was curled up in his chair pouting.

"I don't care, whatever. How soon do you think he'll be back?" Oh, the whiney voice is already out, this could be a long night.

"Bella, you know how long it takes. It depends on how far into the city he has to go and how quickly he can find a victim. It's not like he can just run through McDonald's and ask for an O-positive to go. It's called hunting for a reason, Princess."

"I know, I just miss him when he's not here. It makes my chest hurt too. Will you play my lullaby? That might help some."

"Sure thing. Come sit with me?" We made our way over to the piano bench and I tucked her into my side. "Will you play the counter-melody?" She nodded and put her hands on the keys before giving me a small smile. As we played she laid her head on my shoulder and started to relax. After her lullaby I played several of her other favorites before I noticed her breathing even out and she slumped against me as she fell asleep. I finished the song and then picked her up to take her to bed when I felt vampires approaching on the edge of my gift. There were two of them approaching from the south and they seemed to be heading straight for the house.

When I could hear their thoughts my body froze. They were full of violence, and scenes like I had seen in Peter's and Jasper's minds. These were soldiers and they were looking for a fight. I clenched Bella in my arms trying to think of somewhere to hide her. There was no chance of masking her scent, it was all over the house and Peter wasn't here to shield her. Not to mention her heartbeat could be heard a mile away. I finally decided to pull the cushions off the couch and break out the bottom. I woke Bella up, told her stay down and not make a sound, and piled the cushions back on top of her. Then I turned the stereo on with heavy bass to try to mask her heartbeat. I dropped down beside the couch and said, "Bella, I love you. No matter what you hear you need to stay here until Peter or I come to get you, do you understand?" I heard her faint "yes" before I turned and ran out the door to intercept the incoming vampires.

I didn't make it far from the house before the two came at me from opposite sides. I was hard pressed to block them but Peter's training and my mind reading were keeping me from being ripped apart. The two vampires were huge, at least 6'5" or more. Heavily muscled like Emmett and covered in almost as many scars as Peter. I managed to remove an arm from one of them before I was distracted by two more vampires approaching. Peter was flying in from the east but Garrett was closer, he must have followed these vampires up from the south. Just as I heard Garrett's approach, my right arm was pulled off and each of my legs were grabbed and pulled. I screamed for Garrett to guard the house but the vampire holding my left leg let go and tossed Garrett away before running straight in the front door.

For a long moment time seemed to stand still. Then the vampire appeared holding Bella up like a rag doll. She was crying and she screamed when she saw me laying there. Garrett ran up and took the head off the vampire still holding me before turning toward the house. I heard him think, _Is this Peter and Jasper's third? _I could only nod and he cautiously approached the beast who was holding the most important girl in the whole world.

"You don't know who you're holding right there, you really need to put her down before her mate gets here." Garrett was using his persuasive voice but the fear in his tone wasn't making it as effective.

"Mate? This is just a snack. I think I'll have a bite." I watched in horror as he brought her tiny arm up to his mouth and gave me a toothy smile before biting down. Just as he broke skin Garrett knocked his head off and pulled Bella into his arms. _Edward, she's been bitten. She's too young to change so I'm going to try to suck the venom out. I've seen it done before but I'm not sure if it will work or not. Do you want me to do it?_

I stared at Bella screaming and thrashing around and said the only thing I could. "Do it."

As Garrett pulled her arm to his mouth I heard Peter running in at full speed. He stopped right beside me and I watched his eyes go pitch black, everything, including the white part. I had a flashback to his memory of Jasper and tried to warn Garrett but Peter let out an earth-shaking roar of "_**MINE!**_" as he ran up to Bella. He threw Garrett past me like he weighed nothing and then pieces of vampire began to rain down around us. Garrett jumped on top of me and thought, _Don't move. Don't make a sound and whatever you do, don't look at him or the girl. We have to pray she can bring him back down. _I raised my eyebrows at him trying to ask if he got the venom out, and he said_ Yes, I think I got it all. There wasn't much in there and I don't think she lost much blood. I didn't get the wound sealed but I'm sure Peter will do that. I think her arm may be broken though._

We laid there silently while Peter ripped and roared until I heard Bella pleading for him to stop. She finally screamed "PETER!" at the top of her lungs and he whipped his head around, reaching for her and cradled her to his chest. He carried her off behind the house and out of our view but we still didn't move. I was terrified for my brother, and _of _my brother, but my heart was breaking for Bella. I didn't know what this trauma will do to her at this age.

**Bella POV  
**The last thing I remember was sitting with Edward at the piano but he was suddenly shaking me awake and dropping me down inside the couch. He covered me up and turned the music up loud and told me to stay there no matter what. I had no idea what was going on but it had to be bad for Edward to be so scared. I wish Peter was here. When he gets home he is never leaving me again. If I have to sit on a roof while he hunts I'll be there. I'm only safe with my Peter.

I don't know how long I sat there but I was suddenly ripped out through the back of the couch by the biggest, ugliest vampire I had ever seen. He laughed in my face and carried me out on the front porch. I tried to find Edward and I thought I was going to throw up when I saw him. He was missing an arm and a leg and his clothes were all ripped up with venom dripping everywhere. It looked like one of those horror movies Peter doesn't like for me to watch. I couldn't stop my scream at seeing my beautiful, strong brother laying there so broken and helpless.

I didn't know what to think when another vampire came running up and took the head off the vampire that was holding Edward. He turned to me and looked absolutely terrified. I saw Edward nod so he must have been talking to him silently. He tried to talk the monster into putting me down but then I felt my arm squeezed like it was in a vice and I felt the bone snap. I had never felt pain like that before and I thought it was the worst anything could feel until I felt hot lava running up my arm from my wrist. The bastard bit me! I couldn't think through the pain it was so bad, and then I was being held in different arms and the other vampire was sucking on my arm where the first one had bitten me. I felt the heat leave me little by little until it went away completely. I started to thank him when my Peter showed up screaming and threw him off the porch.

I fell straight down and was a little surprised Peter didn't catch me until I looked at him closer. His eyes were solid black and his face was so twisted it didn't even look like him. For the first time in my life I was actually scared of my vampire mate. He was biting and tearing the other vampire into tiny pieces and for the second time tonight I thought I was going to be sick. I really thought I was ready for this; I'd heard stories from Peter all of my life and he didn't spare me any details (except I'm pretty sure he hasn't told me all about him and Jasper; he thinks I'm too young). But nothing could have prepared me for seeing this stuff firsthand.

I looked down and saw the other vampire on top of Edward; I really hoped he was protecting him and not hurting him. Neither of them were moving so they must be scared of Peter too. I had a feeling I needed to do something but I wasn't sure what, and then my arm was hurting again so I just started yelling at my Peter to stop and help me. It took a few tries but he finally looked at me and his whole face changed. He looked like he was about to cry when he saw me sitting there, and then he picked me up and carried me to the back of the house.

Away from all the destruction I finally broke down and started crying. Peter tucked my head into his chest and started purring. I breathed in his familiar cinnamon and honey scent, while he ran his hands all over me checking for injuries. When he pulled my arm up to look at it I couldn't stop my cry of pain. He sniffed at the bite mark and then ran his tongue over it and I was shocked to see the bleeding stop and a scar form immediately. He pulled his shirt off and I wasn't sure what he was doing until he grabbed my arm and moved his fingers along the break. He moved the bones back where they were supposed to be and before I finished screaming he had his shirt wrapped around it and my arm tied next to my body. Instantly I felt better; it was just sore now.

I curled up in my Peter's lap as he sat down and started rocking me. He was talking too fast and low for me to understand but I felt him start to cry as I drifted off to sleep.

**Peter** **POV  
**It took some effort to beat the monster back and come back to myself. I realized I was holding Bella in my arms and she was asleep. I can't believe I almost lost her. "Oh, baby girl, I'm so sorry! I let you down, I didn't do the one thing I was supposed to do. I didn't protect you. I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, little one. Please don't hate me, please don't. I love you so much. So, so much. I-"

"Pete? You ok man?" Edward stopped my downward spiral and I looked up to Garrett carrying him around the house. He looked-

"Oh my God, Eddie! Did I do that? Please tell me I didn't hurt you too!"

"No, Pete, you shredded the guy who did this. Scared the hell out of me, but you didn't hurt me. I think you knocked Garrett around a little though."

"Garrett, thank you so much. I don't know how you found us but I'm so glad you did. You saved my mate. I can never repay that."

"I was glad to do it. She looks like a sweet little thing. Feel kinda sorry for her being stuck with you and the Major for eternity, but what can you do? Anyway, I ran across Eddie's trail coming from town and then I picked up those two jerks and I was worried he was gonna get it. I wish I could have gotten here before she was bitten but I hope I got the venom out so she will be ok. When did you find her anyway?"

"Just over 12 years ago. She was four days old and living with the worst excuse for parents I have ever seen. Edward said we should bring her home with us and we've been together ever since. Anyway, we can catch up later. Eddie- how are you doing?"

"I've been better, Pete. Dismemberment hurts like hell. I think Garrett got me put back together but I need some blood. I'm just scared to leave you and Bella here alone."

"No, Bella needs to go to the hospital anyway. I think I set her arm right but I'd like a human doctor to check it. Let's all run in together and Garrett can help you hunt near the hospital, ok?"

"Yeah, but you need to clean up if you're going in public. Don't forget to grab some contacts too. And get her Colorado birth certificate- they won't ask as many questions that way. You know she's not going to like this? She's gonna give you hell for taking her there," Eddie laughed.

"Well, she'll just have to deal with it. I have to put my foot down sometime, right? Let her know who's in charge around here. At least she's asleep now and can't argue with me yet." Honestly, I didn't care. She could argue with me all she wants to, it just means she's still alive and here to argue with. "Let's just get out of here before she wakes up and tries to talk me out of it."


	16. Chapter 16

_Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story line, SM owns the characters I'm just having fun with them._

**Bella POV  
September 13, 2003  
Calgary, Alberta**

I can't believe this day has finally arrived. My 16th birthday. In the eyes of the vampire world, I could be changed today and not be considered an immortal child. I have waited my entire life to become a vampire like my mate and my brother. But before my big change can occur, there have to be some other changes within our coven. Peter made a deal with me several years ago that when I turned 16 we could go look for our third mate. I have never met him but Peter has told me stories about him and I can tell from his tone of voice and the look on his face just how much he misses Jasper. Personally, I'm not sure what I think. Jasper and the Major just don't add up.

The vampire they have told me about doesn't sound like someone who would hide from his mate, or abandon him for a family he just met. The Major put himself at risk to keep Peter safe from Maria but as soon as they were free he left Peter and ran away with the Cullens. Of course, I don't know about the crazy animal blood diet he's on either. Eddie says it really messes with your head and shuts down your instincts so you feel more "human." Whatever. I've been human for 16 years and it's not really anything to strive for, if you ask me.

Hopefully I'll have the opportunity to form my own opinion very soon. I told Peter I wouldn't look for him before today and I have held up my end of the bargain. I know he expects us to pack up and go on some long road trip, but, unlike my brother, Peter hasn't kept up with technology in recent years. I have a plan and I'm sure we'll all be together within a month, tops. I'm excited to move forward with our lives, but part of me is really going to miss our home here with Garrett. It's been a fun place to live the past four years and I'm sure life with the Cullens won't be nearly as pleasant. I thought back to the scariest night of my life, the night that led us where we are today.

Once Edward and I were healed, (or Edward was healed and I was sporting a hideous neon pink cast that Peter found hilarious) we decided we needed to move further north. My boys thought the attack was random but also felt we had settled too far south if we were still in range of the Wars. Garrett wanted to stay with us so we all trekked up to Calgary. They kept waiting for me to have some kind of breakdown, or decide I didn't want any part of being a vampire, but they really didn't give me enough credit. Yes, it was scary, but nothing I couldn't get past. It just made me more determined to learn as much as I could from my boys in preparation for the future.

The next few years passed peacefully, but Garrett was some kind of vampire magnet, so we constantly had nomads dropping by to visit. He always had a story to share from his years of travel, and he was also a bit of a man-whore with his fuck buddies constantly stopping in. Most of the vampires who came to visit us were friendly to me and completely understood why I was there with Peter. I met several female vampires and they helped me a lot when there were things I just didn't want to talk about with my boys. I never really missed having a mother but there were some things you just need a girl to talk about. And things you need a girl's help with, like my plan for today. I call it "Operation: Seduce your Mate." Vickie laughed at me when I first asked her for help- she said that mating was instinctual and seduction would not be necessary. I reminded her that in the normal vampire world that may work just fine, but since my mate has known me literally my entire life, I needed to do something to let him know I was no longer the baby girl he thinks I am. I'm a horny teenager and I'm ready to make my move.

A knock on my door brought me back in focus and I opened it to see my Peter and Eddie standing there with huge smiles and a tray of breakfast. "Happy Birthday!" they chorused, before Peter picked me up and spun me around. I couldn't stop myself from clinging to him and taking a death breath of his comforting scent. Pulling back I stared into his gorgeous crimson eyes and wanted to kiss him so much it hurt. Instead I settled for a highly intelligent response of "Hey."

"Hey yourself, little one. You look happy this morning. It wouldn't have anything to do with your party today, would it? Vickie is downstairs and said she'll come up whenever you're ready for her." He set me back down on the floor and kissed my forehead before he stepped away. I took a deep breath to clear my head and looked back up into his eyes, noticing they were darker than they were a minute ago. Edward cleared his throat and I looked over to see him looking back and forth between us with a knowing smile on his face.

Peter shook his head and ran his hand through his hair in an uncharacteristic nervous gesture. "Well, Bella, we'll just get out of your way and let you eat breakfast in peace. I'm gonna run into town to hunt before your party, but Eddie, Garrett, and Vickie are all in the house so you'll be safe, ok?" I still get nervous when Pete leaves me to go hunt, but I shook my nerves off and nodded for him to go.

I sat down at my computer as I ate breakfast and started the search for my mate. Less than a minute later I had what I needed, and I was more than a little shocked at what I found. Looks like I'm going back to my roots. After I got my shower, I called Vickie into the room to help me get dressed. She brought my new dress in with her and then sat down in front me to start my hair and makeup. "So, birthday girl, you excited? Ready to go claim your mate?" she teased me, raising her eyebrows and then bursting into giggles.

"Vickie- keep it down! There are way too many super-hearing nosy vampires around!" Not to mention my mind-reading brother! "How many people are coming today anyway? Did Garrett invite everyone he knows?"

"Well, I know the slut sisters are coming for sure, Mary and Randall I think, I'm pretty sure Maggie is here, and I heard someone saw Alistair but who knows if he will actually come to the party or hang out in a tree and watch from a distance. Oh, and of course myself, Laurent, and James will be there. If Eddie knows the Denalis will be here he will probably bring a human date, but he still may need your help to fight them off."

"I'll need a blowtorch and some hairspray if Irina even looks at Peter again. That bitch needs to learn some boundaries. Mated vampires are off limits!"

"Tell me about it, I catch her hanging around Laurent every time they are here. At least it's common knowledge that Peter is yours. I have to pretend that Laurent is just a part of our coven instead of our mate when we're around other vampires. It's not easy- that's something you'll have to think about when you find the Major." To say that James and Peter were shocked to find each other again up in Canada would be an understatement. I thought James was going to faint when he met me and realized we were part of a triad, just like him and his mates. Garrett and Eddie were the only other ones who knew their secret.

James was my backup plan for finding Jasper if my first plan didn't work out. He had offered to track him for us, but I could tell he was nervous about meeting the Major after the last time he saw him. James and I were actually pretty close and he had filled me in on life with the Major before Peter came along. He had known my older mate almost his whole immortal life, and he had seen some of Jasper's scarier moments firsthand. I had to admit it, _that_ Major sounded pretty damn hot. I just hope we can find him somewhere inside the yellow-eyed Jasper.

Vickie finally finished my makeup and moved on to my hair. She pulled it up into a high ponytail, saying that my bare neck would do more to lure Peter in than my short, tight dress would. As stereotypical as it sounds, male vampires apparently have a thing for necks. "Ok, you're all done and you look absolutely stunning! You look at least 18, no mistaking you for a child tonight!" Vickie cocked her head and looked the door before nodding and saying, "Your brother is here to take you down to the party. Are you ready?"

I looked at her with a huge smile and said, "I've been waiting for this day my whole life. I was born ready!"

Eddie knocked and then let himself in the room where he stopped short at the sight of me. "Um, wow, Bella! You look beautiful! Has Peter seen this dress yet? It's um, different, from anything I've seen you wear before. You look very... grown up." Must look good if my unflappable brother is practically stuttering! I hooked my arm through his and said, "Let's go! I don't want to be late to my own party!"

We made our way downstairs and out to the backyard where there were tea lights and balloons everywhere. I looked around at the vampires gathered there, smiling at all my friends, and calling Alistair down from his tree, before shooting a glare at the succubi from Alaska who were currently draped all over Garrett. My eyes finally found my gorgeous mate and his bright ruby eyes drew me in like a magnet. He took my hands and his eyes darkened as he looked me up and down. "Sugar, you are absolutely stunnin'! I'm not gonna be able to let go of you all night, there are too many males around to see my mate looking this gorgeous."

I leaned up and put my mouth next to his ear and whispered, "Good, then my plan worked. I never want you to let me go." I let my body slide against his all the way back down, just like Vickie showed me, and I caught her wink when I glanced at her. Pete dipped his head down and ran his nose along my pulse point and up to my ear. "I'm not goin' anywhere, baby girl," he breathed quietly in my ear. I shivered in desire and put my arm through his as we moved around to greet everyone. Most of them were friendly and happy to see me; of course Tanya commented how very human it was to have a birthday party, like it was the world's biggest insult.

I spoke with Alistair for a few minutes and he told me he was heading back to England when he left here. He was the strangest vampire I have ever met, very anti-social, but he took a liking to me and I was pretty much the only person he would talk to. Peter said he was intrigued by my gift and he didn't want me to fall into the hands of the Volturi. If we ever had a problem in the future, I knew we had an ally in Alistair.

The other nomads all congratulated me on my birthday and asked when I planned to be changed. We told them we were going to do some traveling before my change and we would have Garrett keep them updated when it finally happened. James gave me a hug and asked if we would need his help with our "travels" but I just shook my head, ignoring Pete's curious glance.

My party was a huge success and I danced with Peter for hours; he wouldn't even let Eddie or Garrett get a dance in, and that was perfectly fine with me. I got way too many gifts as usual, but my favorite was a heart-shaped diamond necklace from my mate; I was never going to take it off. When I could barely keep my eyes open any longer, Peter picked me up and carried me to my room. He set me down outside my door and reached to take my face in his strong, cold hands.

"Bella, you truly lived up to your name tonight. You are so beautiful. I don't know what I could have done to deserve you, my little mate. Did you have fun at your party? Get everythin' you were hopin' for?" he asked me.

I looked up into those gorgeous eyes that were so familiar to me and tried to build my courage up to take what I wanted. I leaned forward and whispered, "There's just one more thing," before I reached up and grasped the back of his neck to press my lips to his. Peter was stunned for a second, and then he groaned and lifted me higher, pressing my body tight to his. I gasped when I felt his cold tongue glide along my bottom lip and his taste exploded in my mouth when I opened for him. He carefully stroked my tongue with his and I was swept away with relief that he hadn't rejected me.

Peter slowed the kiss before pecking me gently on the nose and setting me back on the ground. I was glad when he held onto my waist, because I wasn't sure my feet would hold me up any longer. The smile on his face took my breath away and I'm sure mine was just as big. He gave me another soft, chaste kiss before he said, "Angel, that was amazin'. I love you so much. Does this mean you could possibly love me this way? As a true mate? I mean, I don't want to rush you, just because you're old enough to be changed doesn't mean you're ready to be with me in that way. I mean-"

"Peter, stop!" I cut him off, still smiling. "I have loved you my whole life. You are absolutely everything I could possibly want in a mate and in a man. If you remember, _I _kissed _you_, you aren't rushing me into anything. I want you. I have wanted you for a long time but I knew you still saw me as a child. I want you to know I'm not a child anymore. I'm a woman. A woman who loves you with all my heart. And a woman who just had the best first kiss in the history of the world. Seriously, Peter, that was amazing. _You_ are amazing. I am so lucky I have you." It felt good to finally get that off my chest. Maybe we can move forward now and start talking about my change, after we find Jasper of course.

"Will you stay with me tonight, Pete?" I asked hopefully.

"I don't know, Sugar. My control is pretty slim right now, and I'm not sure you're ready for everythin' I want to do with you yet." His voice was actually shaking as he smiled at me sheepishly. Damn, he looks so good.

"It's ok, Peter. I just want you to hold me while I sleep. You can stay on top of the covers and I'll put on my old ratty sweats so you aren't too tempted. Please?" I wasn't ready to let him go yet. I just needed to keep him to myself for the night.

"Baby girl, you could wear a burlap sack and still be temptin' to me. But if you want me to stay I will. I'll try to be on my best behavior."

We stepped into the bedroom and Peter settled in on my bed while I went into my bathroom to change. When I came out he held his arms out to me and I sank gratefully into his cold embrace. "This was the best birthday ever, Pete. Thank you so much. I love you." I was asleep almost immediately but then I felt Peter nudge my shoulder to bring me back awake.

"Sugar, I don't know if you want to talk about it now, but tomorrow we need to discuss what you wanna do about findin' Jasper. We can pack up as soon as you're ready and head out. I talked to a few people before the party and they had some ideas on where the Cullens might be." I could hear the excitement in his voice as he thought about finally being reunited with our mate after all these years.

"Sure, Peter. We can head out as soon as you're ready. But I already know where to go- the Cullens are in Forks."

**Peter** **POV**  
I don't know how long I sat there absolutely stunned, but when I looked back down at Bella she was already fast asleep. How on earth does she know where Jasper is? How did she find out and how long has she known?

"Peter, she did an internet search for them today; she found an article in the _Forks Gazette_ welcoming Carlisle Cullen as the new ER doctor and general surgeon a few months back. She has been dying to do it for a long time now but she honored your agreement and waited until today to look. We need to discuss this, it does present some complications you know." Edward spoke up from down the hall, responding to my chaotic thoughts.

I thought about the complications he alluded to and what it would mean for our plans. Forks is where Bella was born and I wondered if her parents still lived there or if she was still a missing person. Then there was the possibility of the local shapeshifter pack causing problems. The Cullens had a treaty with them when they lived there before, but it didn't apply to human drinkers like us. I had hoped to move close to Jasper and give him time to get to know us before asking him to leave with us, but if we were going to be under the threat of attack we would have to convince him to leave with us quickly.

"I don't think the shapeshifters will be a problem, they had to have died off by now. Even if they are there, they only had three in their pack and you and I could take them out easily if it came down to it. Of course, the Cullens wouldn't appreciate our living in the same town with our hunting habits. We could always hunt in Port Angeles to stay more inconspicuous. Personally, I say we go for it. I'd love to cause them some trouble, it's long overdue."

_Thanks, Eddie. I take it you're coming with us? You know you and Garrett are always going to be a part of this coven, even after we get Jasper back. Don't feel like you have to leave us then, ok?_

"Thanks, Pete. I appreciate it. I don't think Garrett will come, he still hates Carlisle for his part in all this. Maybe we can meet up with him again later. I think he's looking forward to having the house to himself for a while. I was thinking if Bella is up for it, she and I can enroll in high school and surprise the Cullens there. With my brown contacts she and I can easily pass for brother and sister, and we're not incestuous like the Cullens either." I could hear the laughter in his voice and I tried to keep my own laugh quiet enough to not wake my mate.

_What about me? I'm too old for school, and the two of you need a parent but I don't look like either one of you. I don't want to be Bella's father anyway._

"How about just a guardian? You were a friend of our parents and when they died you took us in? I mean, it's kind of true actually. You raised both of us, and did a pretty damn good job of it too." Wow, I never knew he felt that way about me. I always worried he blamed me for taking his family away from him. "Peter, you and Bella _are_ my family. Garrett too. I didn't lose anything when we left. I gained everything. So what do you say, can I take my sister to high school? It has to go better than the kindergarten disaster, right?"

_Ha- maybe. I better find a tree to hang out in near the school. So we're really gonna do this? We're goin' to Forks?_

"It's up to you, Captain. Are you ready to see him again?"

_I am. I'm just not sure I'm ready to be rejected by him. _

"I don't think you have anything to worry about. He'll come back to you. I'm pretty sure Bella will give him a piece of her mind, too. Oh, and congratulations on the change in your relationship. I know you've been holding back for the past year or so. I'm glad you can finally be happy now."

I looked down at my sleeping angel in complete awe of her beauty. I was thrilled with our kiss tonight. I have been scared for the past 16 years that when she was old enough to want an adult relationship she wouldn't see me in that way. I don't think I could have handled her rejection on top of Jasper's. I'm so glad I don't have to worry about that anymore. She's mine and she's not going anywhere without me. I leaned over to place a soft kiss on her warm lips and sighed in anticipation. Very soon I could have both my mates back with me; I can't even imagine the joy in that.

As I settled back to close my eyes and rest with Bella, I thought about our upcoming reunion. I really hoped the two of them would like each other and not get off on the wrong foot. I needed my two lovers to love each other as well.


	17. Chapter 17

**_A/N: Here it is! The chapter that everyone has been waiting for! Just wanted to say a big thank you to my faithful reviewers so far, y'all make my day. I love all your theories and opinions. Y'all rock! (Yes, I'm kissing butt now, you'll see why at the end of the chapter) ;)  
And, on with the story..._**

_Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story line, SM owns the characters I'm just having fun with them._

**Jasper POV  
Forks, Washington  
**I finished burying the mountain lion I had drained and sat back against a moss-covered tree, enjoying the solitude of my early morning hunt. Just as I got comfortable, the shrill ringing of my cell phone brought me out of my musing and back to reality. I sighed as I looked at the name- _Alice._ "What's up, Alice?"

_Where are you? Are you talking to Sam again? You just disappeared._

Just as she finished speaking Sam came walking into view with a smirk on his face- proud of himself for sneaking up on me. "Yes, Alice. He just walked up." I managed not to break my phone as I snapped it closed, cutting off the call.

"She sure is nosy for someone who ain't your woman." Sam loved calling me out on Alice's tight leash.

"Yeah, well, which woman is running your life today? Your lover or your imprint?" I could dish it to him as well as take it.

"Both. Why else would I be out here hiding in the woods with the likes of you?" He kept his joking tone but I could feel his frustration and despair leaking through.

"You wanna talk or spar?" As I waited for his answer I thought back to the beginning of my strange friendship with Sam, the werewolf who had become my closest confidant over the past two months.

_~Flashback~  
We were out hunting as a family about a month after we moved to Forks when I ran across a strange smell. It had a distinctly canine flavor to it but was horribly off-putting as well. I followed the trail and ended up face to face with a huge black wolf. But it wasn't his size or smell that drew my attention- it was his emotions. I had been hunting animals for over 60 years now and had never once felt any kind of emotions from one. But the giant wolf in front of me was radiating confusion, anger, hatred, and crippling fear. We stared at each other for a full minute before he started backing up and growling fiercely. I felt the family run up behind me, most of them putting out shock, except for two. Alice had a strange mixture of fear and malice. She shook it off as she ran up and looked between me and the wolf. Carlisle had shock, but also recognition and awe. "Levi?" he whispered. The wolf whipped his head and stared at Carlisle, his anger melting away to disbelief and resignation. He shook his head at Carlisle in a very human gesture and made sounds like he was trying to speak._

_Carlisle turned to me and said, "He must be a descendent of the last wolf pack. He looks exactly like Levi Uley." When Carlisle spoke the name I felt recognition and hope from the wolf. Carlisle turned back to him and asked, "Is this the first time you have phased?" and to my shock the wolf nodded his head again._

_"Ok," Carlisle said, turning to the family, "we need to give him some space, all of us being here is hard on his instincts. Just go back to the house while I talk to him and see if I can get him to phase back." The family all left except for me and Alice. Alice was still glaring at the wolf and Carlisle finally told her to go home._

_I really didn't like the idea of leaving my father alone with the giant vampire-killing wolf so I stood my ground and dared him to order me away. He glanced at me and sighed, and then said, "You might actually be able to help, Jasper. The young wolves are ruled by anger and he needs to be able to calm down in order to change back. If your power works on him you could get him calm faster."_

_I nodded and turned to the wolf who had been watching us and said, "Hey, I'm Jasper. I have the power to sense and control emotions and if you would like I can send you some calm to help you get back to your human self." He looked at me for a long minute before finally nodding his head. I started low and slowly built up the level of calm and peace I was sending him. The air seemed to shimmer and suddenly we were staring at a very naked Native American boy who looked to be about 18 years old. His long hair was tangled and full of leaves and sticks, and his body was covered with mud from the damp forest floor. I whipped my shirt off and offered it to him but he wrinkled his nose up and waved me off._

_"So I guess all the fucking legends are true, huh? You're really cold ones and I'm stuck on this damn reservation as a wolf for the rest of my life." he sounded so broken I had to wonder what he would be giving up for this new life. In a way I understood how he felt. I had plans of my own before Maria ripped me out of my old life and threw me head first into a new nightmare._

_Carlisle and I talked with Sam for an hour or so before he headed back to the reservation to talk to his elders. This was the first of many meetings between Sam and I. We talked about everything in our lives and found ourselves to be kindred spirits. Finding out that Alice couldn't see the wolves made our friendship that much more important to me. I could talk to Sam about anything without fear of Alice seeing it and calling me out in front of the family. Alice had thrown a fit when we got home, trying to demand that we move again so her visions wouldn't be blocked but Esme put her foot down this time. The Forks house was her favorite place to live and she didn't plan on leaving anytime soon.  
__~End Flashback~_

Sam finally spoke up and said, "I had a big fight with Emily. She yelled at me again about how horrible I am for dumping Leah and how I was tearing her family apart. I got so mad for a minute I almost phased right next to her. I had to close my eyes and center myself like you taught me and then she went and slapped me. I just jumped back and barely made it out the door before I exploded. I'm scared to death I'm going to hurt her one day, I don't know why she doesn't understand all this. She feels the imprint just like I do!"

This imprint stuff was really tough for Sam. I could sympathize with him but I couldn't really empathize, despite my gift. I don't know what I would have done if Peter had rejected me when I first turned him. It was unthinkable to me. Sometimes I wondered if it would have been easier if I had lost him then, at the beginning, than losing him later, after all we had shared.

"I don't know what to tell you. I'm obviously not the expert on keeping hold of your soul mate." Sam knew all my sordid history, and while he kept most of his opinions to himself, I could tell he was sympathetic to Peter. It was the height of irony since Sam's whole purpose in life was to destroy human drinking vampires.

"Yeah, well, hello pot, my name's kettle. We're a sad pair aren't we?" he laughed but there was no humor in it. This fight must have really rattled him. "Can we talk about something else?"

Could I? I needed to talk to someone and he was my only option if I didn't want the family to know. Nodding, I plunged right in. "I think Peter is coming here."

He whipped his head around and looked at me in shock. "What? Why do you think that?"

"I've noticed the past few days that my mating pull is getting easier. The only reason I can think of is if they are coming closer. I haven't said anything to the family yet, but if he comes and asks me to leave with him I'm going to go." Wow, that was freeing to say. Maybe it was because of who I was talking to. The family always shot down my talk like that. They didn't want me giving up all my "hard work" and becoming a savage again.

Sam was giving off a mixture of sadness and pride. "I'm glad you're finally willing to man up and fight for your mate. Do you think the family will give you any trouble?"

"Yeah, probably. Alice hates Peter and Carlisle isn't thrilled with him either. He thinks Peter stole his son away, but I think Edward had one foot out the door before we showed up. This lifestyle really isn't for everyone."

"Yeah, I can understand that. I know I'm supposed to hate what you are but right now you're the only friend I've got who truly understands what I'm going through. If you can be my friend whether I have fur or skin, I'd like to think I would be open-minded enough to stay your friend no matter what color your eyes are." His admission shocked me speechless for a minute.

"Are you serious? I can't believe a shapeshifter who lives to protect humans would be more understanding than my own father. That's really saying something isn't it?"

"Yeah, just don't let the tribal elders know I said that, ok? They're all noble and shit." With that, the tension melted and we fell into our usual comfortable banter.

Walking home later I was intercepted by Rose about a mile from the house. I could sense her worry and determination before I could see her. "What's up Rose?" I truly loved my sister but she could be royal pain in the ass if she got it in her head to call you out on something.

"I'm worried about you, Jasper. You've been even more quiet than normal the past few days. And Emmett says you haven't played x-box with him at all. Is something bothering you?" I think our years of pretending to be twins gave her an insight to me that the rest of the family just didn't have. Maybe it was just the fact that she cared about me, as a person. She was my biggest supporter in the family, always defending me when Alice had negative visions about my control. And she badgered me at least twice a year to leave and go seek out my mate. I knew if I did leave with Peter I would have her full support.

I wish could tell her about my feelings but I can't risk the rest of the family knowing so I just shrugged and said, "It's nothing. Just feeling a little down. Missing Peter again."

Predictably she replied, "God, Jasper, just go already! If it bothers you this bad you just need to go find him! I don't know how you can live without your mate for so long. I can't go a day without Emmett!"

"Rose, we've been over this. If he wanted me, he would have come for me years ago. I won't force myself on him if he no longer loves me!"

"That's bullshit Jasper and you know it. You're just a coward. Whatever, we have to be at school in an hour, I'm going to get ready." With that, she turned and flounced off in a huff.

I sighed and continued on to get ready for another boring day pretending to be human.

**Bella POV**  
The past few weeks of planning and traveling were all coming to a head today. Edward and I were enrolled in Forks high school as juniors (I was the extra smart younger sibling who skipped a grade- Eddie thought this was hilarious) and we were leaving the office with our new schedules in hand. Peter had insisted that we have all the same classes, and I gritted my teeth while he dazzled the secretary into agreeing. In a flashback to my first school experience, he left the office and headed straight for the trees. He was planning to mask our scent until lunch and Eddie was going to monitor their thoughts so we didn't cross paths before then. The only thing that was uncertain was whether he would be able to keep his shield off of Jasper until then- he was fighting himself hard to cover Edward instead of Jasper.

We made it through the morning fairly unscathed. The entire school was staring at us; it really was a credit to the Cullens' self-centeredness that they didn't notice us before lunch. Apparently Eddie and I were both hot commodities and we were fighting off suitors from the moment we walked in. Well, I was fighting off suitors and Edward was simultaneously playing the protective older brother and scaring away boys, while flirting with all the girls and collecting phone numbers. "Edward, you know you have to pace yourself. If you don't, you'll fuck the whole school before the end of the week and then we'll have to leave." I teased him during biology, our last class before lunch.

"And if you don't watch your language then Peter will get a call from a pissed off teacher before the end of the day." Damn, he always has a come back. Stupid eternal teenager.

We took our time heading to the cafeteria to make sure the other vampires arrived ahead of us. My nerves shot up before I locked them down and went into battle mode. Edward held the door open for me and I could almost hear the cheesy music as the wind blew his hair back and he paused and scanned the room with a smirk on his face. "After you, dear sister." he said with a slight bow.

The Cullens' heads all whipped around at the exact same time and I got my first look at my yellow-eyed mate. Objectively, I saw that he was sinfully handsome, with a deceptively innocent boyish face. His golden curls looked so soft and I briefly wondered what it would feel like to run my hands through them. His eyes were wide and his mouth open in shock as he locked eyes with me. I knew that if Peter had lifted his shield he would surely smell our mate's scent coming off me. I was surprised by how much I was drawn to him; my body seemed to be almost pulling me in his direction. Only Edward's hand on my elbow was keeping me in place.

"Come on Bella, let's get some lunch." I turned to see the annoyingly hyper blonde girl from my English class trying to pull Edward and I toward the lunch line. Edward kept his hand on my back all the way through the line and when we sat at Jessica's table, he put his arm on the back of my chair.

"So, Jessica, who are _they?" _he asked, pointing to the Cullens.

She leaned forward, eager to share the gossip and started in, "They're the Cullens. They all live with Dr. Cullen but they don't really talk to anyone here at school. The blonde ones are Rosalie and Jasper Hale, they are twins, and I think they're just foster kids. Emmett and Alice are brother and sister but they were adopted so their last name is Cullen. The really freaky part is, Rosalie and Emmett are together. Like together, together. And they live together. It's just weird."

"So the other two are single then?" Edward asked. Jessica's face fell, assuming he was interested in Alice, but she continued with a little less enthusiasm, "Yes, they are, but don't bother with them, they don't date. They've turned everyone down who has asked."

With that, I looked at Jasper and smirked. "Oh really? Well, lucky for me, I like a challenge." I hopped up, knowing Eddie would follow me, and walked right over to sit in Jasper's lap. I tried to ignore just how good it felt to be this close to him, as I turned to him and said, "Hi. I'm Bella Whitlock. It seems we have a mutual love interest. But you wouldn't know anything about that would you, Jasper _Hale_?"

Jasper started to answer but tightened his arms around me when Alice hissed, "No! It's not possible! I saw you die- TWICE! Ugh, that stupid wolf has my visions so screwed up I can't see anything now-" She broke off and I saw Edward looked furious as he had his hand locked around her arm like a vice. He growled low and pulled her up from her chair.

"You're coming with me. Peter needs to know what the hell you have been up to all this time. Jasper, this affects you too. Outside, now." I watched as they walked at slightly faster than human pace straight out the door.

Jasper still hadn't moved and he finally whispered in a broken voice, "Is he here? Is he really here? Or is this just some sick joke? You smell like him." As he said this he tucked his head in my neck and breathed deep. I had to fight back a wave of arousal, but damn, he was gorgeous and he smelled almost as good as Peter. I steeled myself as I hardened my voice and pulled away as best I could.

"Of course I smell like him. He's my _mate._ He holds me in his arms every night while I sleep." I felt Jasper shudder against me and he finally raised his head to look me in the eye. The pure misery in his golden eyes melted my resolve.

"Can I see him? Does he want to see me? Does he hate me?" his voice broke and he choked on a sob at the last question. Before I could answer I got a text from Eddie- _Get your ass out here NOW!_

"Come on, let's go. I have some things to say to you later but I'd like for you to find your balls first." This finally got a reaction from the remaining Cullens who were now choking back laughter.

"Mind if we come along?" Rosalie asked. "I've been telling him to go find Peter for years. I'm sorry I didn't push him harder. It's really nice to meet you, Bella."

"You too. Now, we better get outside before Eddie comes back to get me. He seemed pretty pissed about something."

"Eddie?" Emmett broke in with another laugh, "He lets you call him _Eddie? _Did the prude finally loosen up?"

Now it was my turn to laugh. "Eddie is about as far from a prude as you can get. Come on, you can catch up with him later. Jasper needs to talk to _my _mate now."

**Jasper POV  
**My mind was running a mile a minute and my body had yet to catch up to it. I was in complete information overload. My life had turned completely upside in the past ten minutes of lunch. First this gorgeous brunette walks in, with Edward Cullen of all people, looking like sex on legs in those tight jeans and a fucking Van Halen t-shirt. I was shocked when I felt myself drawn to her; I hadn't been attracted to anyone since I met Peter. I didn't hear anything that was said around me until she marched right up and sat herself down on my lap, introducing herself as Bella _Whitlock._ What the hell? As I took a breath to answer her I was stunned again. Wrapped around her fresh strawberry and honeysuckle fragrance was the very distinctive honey and cinnamon of my mate.

While one part of my brain was focusing on just how well those scents blended together, another part heard Alice say something about this angel being dead- wait, what? She knew my mate was in trouble and she didn't tell me? Whoa, my mate? Where did that- oh my god, this girl is my mate. And Peter's mate, and he's here. He has to be here. He wouldn't let her come alone. He wouldn't let another mate go would he? "Is he here? Is he really here? Or is this just some sick joke? You smell like him." Without a thought I ducked my head down to breathe in their scent. I didn't realize I had spoken aloud until she answered me.

"Of course I smell like him. He's my _mate._ He holds me in his arms every night while I sleep." I couldn't stop my shudder, I was right- he had chosen her. He loved her, and stayed with her, instead of me. Did I even have a chance now? I worked up enough courage to raise my head and look in her chocolate brown eyes.

"Can I see him? Does he want to see me? Does he hate me?" I had to choke back a sob as I spoke the words that twisted deep in my gut. I couldn't breathe as the possibility of losing Peter forever was staring me right in the face. I was aware of the others talking around me and I think they might have been making fun of me, but nothing else mattered but my mate, and the girl who was claiming him as her own. I moved robotically when she stood up and pulled on my arm to make me rise.

My body seemed to act without me thinking as I draped my arm across her shoulder and tucked her in close to my side. I heard her sharp intake of breath, followed by a surge of lust, and then her arm snaked around my waist and she tucked her hot little hand into the back pocket of my jeans. She leaned in and whispered softly, "Don't think this is me accepting you or anything. I'm just making sure the rest of the school knows you're already spoken for." I felt hope begin to blossom somewhere deep in my chest. She hadn't learned yet that she can't lie to me.

I fought back a smirk as I leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Whatever you need to tell yourself, darlin'. Your body and your emotions betray ya though." Rose whipped her head around and smiled at me as my Southern accent came out for the first time in years. Based on the scent of Bella's arousal, she was pleased as well.

We walked out of the cafeteria and slipped into the trees surrounding the school. I held tighter to Bella as I picked up Peter's scent and my nerves shot into overdrive again. A few seconds later we broke through the trees and I stared into the crimson eyes of my mate for the first time in more than 60 years.


	18. Chapter 18

_Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story line, SM owns the characters I'm just having fun with them._

**Peter POV**  
I was clinging to the highest branch of the tree that would hold my weight, at least 50 feet off the ground, looking down at the little brick buildings that held the loves of my life. Knowing I was this close to Jasper and not being able to see him was torturing me. I listened to Edward and Bella go through their day and smiled as she brushed off the humans who were interested in her. I tried to listen for Jasper but he only said a word or two the entire morning. I moved from tree to tree hoping to catch a glimpse of him, but all I managed to see was the back of his head as he entered the cafeteria. I immediately locked my muscles in place to keep myself from running in after him.

When Edward and Bella came into the cafeteria, the Cullens all began muttering to each other at vampire speed. I still didn't hear anything from Jasper and I was beginning to worry about him until I heard Bella introduce herself. I knew he was in trouble by her tone of voice and I had the strangest urge to defend him against her subtle attack.

When I heard Alice say she thought Bella was dead, I flew out of the tree and was almost to the door of the cafeteria before I caught myself. _Edward, bring her ass out here to me RIGHT NOW. _I saw them moving my way so I moved back into the cover of the forest to wait. I collapsed on my knees when I heard Jasper's broken voice asking about me. When he asked if I hated him I broke into uncontrollable sobs. Edward had reached me by this point, still dragging Alice out by the arm and he used his other hand to pull me up and haul me deeper into the trees.

"Peter, get yourself together. We have to talk about this bitch. You won't believe what I just saw in her fucked-up head." Edward was seething, his eyes pitch black, and I saw cracks starting to form where he was gripping her twig-like arm. When she whimpered and tried to pull away again he growled at her, more menacing than I had ever heard him before. "Shut up. You aren't getting out of this one. I'll rip you apart myself, but not before I find out everything you're still hiding."

He stopped and cocked his head, listening, and said, "Pete, they're coming. Do you want Jasper to see you like this?"

I honestly didn't care how Jasper saw me, as long as he saw me. But I stood up and straightened my clothes, trying to calm myself as best I could without either of my mates near me. I had no idea what kind of emotions Jasper would be getting off me right now, or if he was even able to look past his own. I sighed with relief when my mates finally walked into view with their arms around each other. I caught Jasper's eye and could not look away. He was here. He was really, actually here. I wanted to run to him, hug him, kiss him, scream at him, but I couldn't move.

When Bella ducked under his arm to move my direction, he dropped straight to his knees and whispered "Peter" with such longing it broke the tenuous hold on my composure and I launched myself straight into his arms. I pulled him tight to my chest, trying to push as much of my love into him as I could. When he felt it he began sobbing harder and he finally spoke, "Peter, please don't leave me! I'll do anything, I'll live however you want me to live, I'll eat whatever you want me to eat, just please don't leave me again! I can't live without you again Peter, please! I need you. Please, Peter!"

I was stunned. I knew he had to feel my shock but I didn't know how to respond. I mean, he left me! He's the one who didn't want me! What is he talking about? Helpless, I turned to look at Edward but he had the same look of confusion on his face. Bella had a frown on her face and she was looking between me and Jasper and Alice. She finally turned to Edward and said, "Eddie, do you think you could take everyone somewhere for a little while and let my boys have some time to talk? I'll stay here with them- I think you need to keep an eye on _her._"

I looked up at him and thought, _Do it Edward. I have to figure out what has happened and what kind of shit they have told him about me. Bella will be the most objective since she wasn't there at the time and I really do need you to keep an eye on Alice. Is she a threat to Bella?_ I cringed when he scowled at me and nodded his head sharply. _Ok, then, take her to the Cullen house or wherever you need to, but get her away from my mates. I have to figure this out. And Edward, take care of yourself, ok?_

He nodded again and then asked Emmett to help him take Alice back to the Cullen house. Rosalie and Emmett looked confused but they agreed to help him, and they all ran off together, with the boys carrying Alice between them. She waited until she was almost out of earshot before she started screeching at them to put her down or she was going to tell Carlisle. I heard a loud smack and then she was quiet. I was pretty sure Rose must have slapped her, because even if it was Alice, I didn't think Edward would hit a woman.

Jasper didn't seem to notice everyone was gone as I sat there holding him. I reached my arm out to Bella; I needed her close to me and I hoped she could help Jasper as well. She came over and kneeled beside us and tentatively put her hand on Jasper's shoulder. She started talking to him a soft, gentle voice, "Jas? Jasper? Can we talk for a minute?" He nodded with his head still buried in my neck and Bella cracked a small smile. "Can you maybe sit up so I can see you too?" He took a deep breath and sat up, looking first at me, then back to Bella.

"I'm sorry. I think all the emotions got the best of me and I've been waitin' for this day for so long. I didn't mean to lose it like that. I'm sorry." He pulled back from me and rubbed his hands over his face before settling back to sit against the tree behind him. I wanted to sit closer to him but I knew we needed to talk and I had to be able to see his face to do that. Bella sat cross-legged facing both of us, forming a loose triangle.

"Ok," she said, "I think we need to figure out what has been going on and we need to do that without the others here. All I know is what Peter and Edward have told me, so can you tell me what happened Jasper? How did you come to be separated from Peter and why didn't you ever try to find him?" I was proud of my mate. She spoke calmly and objectively, and I'm sure Jasper could feel her sincerity. She reached over and took each of our hands in hers, pulling them into her lap and covering them with her own.

Jasper's eyes closed and he sighed happily. "You're so warm. It feels amazing." I sent him my agreement and he looked at me and smiled. "Can I ask something first, before we start talking?" We both nodded and he continued, "When did you find Bella? How much does she know?"

"I found her when she was four days old. I felt her drawin' me in; she was born right here in Forks, actually, and I ran straight here from Boise and took her back home with me. And I know you're gonna ask why I didn't come look for you, but Eddie and I were worried we couldn't trust the family around Bella until she was old enough to be changed. I couldn't risk her life, and it looks like we were right to be concerned."

"Was this in September of '87?" I was shocked he asked this and wondered where he was going with it. When I nodded he said, "I felt it too. I felt the pull, stronger than I ever had before, pullin' in two separate ways, and then I felt complete peace. I thought you must have found her and I actually went and told Carlisle I wanted to look for you, but I didn't tell him why. He said if you wanted me you would have come to find me and I just needed to let you go. I'm sorry I listened to him." He ducked his head down and I felt shame leaking out from his gift, but Bella pulled on his hand until he looked back up at us.

"We'll get there, ok? Let's just start at the beginning so we're all on the same page. Jasper, why don't you tell us what happened after Peter left you in Springfield?"

"Ok, um, I was a mess at first, absolutely miserable. It wasn't so bad though, because I thought Peter would be back in a few weeks and we could move on. I started on the animal diet and it was pretty bad. I had to hunt almost every day to keep the thirst bearable, so that kept me pretty busy. Anyway, we got enrolled in school and were close to starting when Alice said she had a vision of me draining the mayor's daughter and we had to leave town so I wouldn't slip up." I looked at him incredulous; slip up? Did she know the training we went through? We were starved and then covered in fresh blood and forced to fight. The Major could resist anything!

"I know, believe me, I argued my case but they didn't know me and they trusted her visions I guess. I didn't feel like I had a right to make a scene. But I did make sure Carlisle left word for you so you would know where we were going. He left a note for Edward in the safe, he said that's what they always did when they had to leave quickly. But I wanted to leave you something from me, did you find my uniform? I left you a personal note with it."

"I did find it Jasper, but we didn't find a note from Carlisle. Edward searched the entire house looking for anything that would tell him where you went. I won't lie, I wasn't much help then. I was in Chicago when I felt you leave, the hole in my chest was so bad that I just curled up and cried when you weren't at the house. Garrett happened to come by a few days later and he snapped me out of it and ordered me to hunt so we could look for you. We searched all over for three solid years before we found the house in Maine. It smelled like you had only been gone a few days so I thought you must have been avoiding us, and you didn't want me anymore. I stopped looking then and tried to let you live your own life the way you wanted, but I NEVER stopped needing you. I never stopped wanting you."

Jasper was shaking his head and starting to get a crazed look in his eye. "We left Maine in a hurry too. Emmett slipped and killed some guy on the side of the road, said he was injured and he couldn't resist the blood. But we left a note there too. I made sure Carlisle left word in case you decided you wanted me again. I was devastated when you didn't show up but I kept waiting for you. I couldn't feel the mating pull as strongly on the animal blood or I would have looked for you myself. I thought about it several times but Alice always saw and told the family and they would talk me out of it. All except Rose- she wanted me to find you, she didn't like us being apart. I always left you gifts in the houses we didn't sell, in case you came by after we left. I just wanted some kind of connection with you, even if you didn't want me."

Bella finally broke in, "Guys, I think we need to talk to Edward now. I don't know what's going on, but I really don't think either one of you is at fault. It sounds like you both parted ways fully intending to meet up again within a few weeks, and your plans were changed without your knowledge. It had to be either Carlisle or Alice, and based on her reaction to me, my money is on Alice. What I don't understand is why she thought I was dead? What could she have seen? I was with Peter all of my life. She couldn't have seen me."

"Bella, sugar, you weren't with me those first four days. I showed you the pictures of what you looked like and I told you what Eddie heard in your father's thoughts. I think I was pulled to you because you were in immediate danger. If I hadn't come for you that night, I'm not sure how long you would have been alive." I saw Jasper's eyes darken and knew we'd have to talk about this later when she wasn't around. He deserves to know what brought me to our mate.

"Ok, so are we ok for the moment? You both love each other, right?" Leave it to Bella to bring up what's really important.

I looked at Jasper and saw him gazing at me. Those eyes were gonna take some getting used to, but I didn't care if he had purple eyes if he was back home with me and Bella. I sent him all my love and then leaned over and gently pressed my lips to his. He opened and deepened the kiss, keeping thing slow but still passionate. His taste filled my senses and my heart finally settled in my chest; the pain from the past decades just disappeared. Pulling away, Jasper sighed and smiled at me before we heard Bella groan.

We both turned to look at her and she had a dreamy smile on her face. "Damn, that was hot. I have the most gorgeous mates ever. I do feel a little left out though..." I laughed and leaned to kiss her, knowing she would taste Jasper on me. I kept it quick and Jasper leaned over to kiss her cheek.

"I look forward to getting to know you, darlin'. I think you might keep me on my toes." he said.

"Major, you have NO idea..." I was interrupted by my phone ringing, glancing down I saw that it was Edward. "What's up Eddie?"

_Peter, you're not gonna like this but Alice got away. She-_

"What the hell do you mean she got away?! I gave you one job, Edward. One job! Keep an eye on that 4-foot nothing piece of shit pixie and you LOST HER?" I can't believe this. I jumped up and started pacing, then thought better of it and pulled Bella and Jasper close to me, one on each side. "Where the hell did she go?"

_I was talking to Carlisle, well, fighting with him is more like it, and Emmett and Rose were supposed to be watching her. She went in the bathroom to get a shower and the idiots let her go right out a window. I didn't notice because Carlisle was yelling at me and everyone's thoughts were so loud that I didn't realize she was gone until the others started yelling._

I felt Jasper sending me calm and Bella rubbing circles on my back but I was still too close to losing it. "Eddie, we need to talk. I need to know what you found out and we need to tell you what Jasper said. Meet us back at the house, ok? But first, pack up all of Jasper's things. He ain't goin' back there." I looked over at Jasper and said, "Sorry, I love you, but I'm not askin' you this time. You're comin' with me. Got it?" He nodded and sent me his acceptance and joy.

_Ok, I'll be there as soon as I can. But Carlisle wants to talk to us before we leave town. And I probably need to sit down with Esme, she didn't want me to leave and she has been mad at Carlisle the whole time we've been gone. _I looked at Jasper and he nodded his agreement.

"Ok, we won't leave town yet. We need to deal with Alice anyway, I don't want any loose ends trying to hurt either of my mates. We'll see you soon." As I hung up the phone I hugged my mates close to me and took a deep breath. This was all that mattered, if they were with me we could get through anything.

Bella hugged me close and reached out to take Jasper's hand. "Come on boys, let's go home."


	19. Chapter 19

_Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story line, SM owns the characters I'm just having fun with them._

**Jasper POV  
**My mind was still reeling from the fact that Peter was here and that he actually wanted me. He never stopped wanting me. All these years we wasted apart were for nothing. All that time I ignored what my heart, my soul, knew to be true and believed the lies that were fed to me. Rose was right, I was a coward.

I was pulled to a stop and looked around, surprised; I hadn't realized we were moving. Peter slipped out from under my arm that was draped over his shoulder and I looked down to see Bella still tucked tightly to my side. Her brown eyes looked at me curiously and I could feel concern coming from her, was she worried about me?

"Are you ok, Jasper?" she asked, "I know it's a lot to take in, but you haven't said a word."

I tried to shake myself from my thoughts and I noticed we were in the parking lot of the high school, next to a sleek black Mustang. Pete was standing by the driver's side door with the keys in hand, looking at me quizzically. I shook my head and looked down at my feet in shame. "This is all my fault. I am such an idiot. How can I ever make it up to either one of you? I don't deserve you." I pulled away from Bella to fold my arms across my chest and sent them both my feelings of worthlessness.

"Jasper, that is ENOUGH! I will not let you sit here and beat yourself up. You are feeling worthless? Do you think Peter and I would go to all this trouble to find you if you weren't worth it? I admit, I planned on coming here and handing you your ass for the way you left Peter, but now I can see you were just as lost as he was. It doesn't matter how long it took to get here, what matters is the fact that we are all three together now and NO ONE is going to pull us apart again. _You are worth it_! Got it? Now get your ass in gear, get in the car, and let's _go home_!"

I looked at her completely in shock. Her emotions were sincere: some irritation, conviction, and fierce protectiveness. Was that for me or Peter? "Yes, ma'am. Peter, remind me not get on her bad side, ok?" She is a firecracker!

"Yeah, Eddie and I learned that real early on. She started growling when she was about 2 or 3. Fierce little kitten." Peter had a fond smile on his face as he gazed at our mate; I felt a pang of loss for the years I missed but tried to push it down again.

We got in the car and started out onto the highway and I realized I had no idea where we were going. "Where are you stayin'?"

"We rented a house on the opposite side of town from the Cullens. It's closer to Port Angeles, where we plan to hunt, and further from the reservation. Are the wolves there? We weren't sure if we would have trouble with them." Peter asked.

"Well, there is one wolf, but he's kind of my best friend. I told him I thought you might be comin' and he's actually a big fan of yours. He's been tellin' me I was an idiot to stay away from you. I'm sure he'll want to meet you soon." I realized I needed to talk to Sam and let him know they were here. "I actually better call him in case he runs across Edward's trail. Don't want any misunderstandings." As I pulled out my phone and dialed him, Bella leaned up between us and stage-whispered,

"Did he just say his best friend is a werewolf? How many ways did that crazy cult fuck him up, Peter?" Pete rolled his eyes and laughed softly just as Sam picked up the phone.

_Hey bloodsucker, what's up?_

"Not much. Just going home with my mates."

_WHAT?! Are you serious?! That's really great, man._

"Thanks. Yeah, Peter showed up and he brought our gorgeous little mate, Bella. I can't wait for you to meet them. But I was calling to let you know they brought their brother with them, Edward Cullen."

Bella cleared her throat and shook her head at me- "It's Edward Whitlock. He's part of our coven, not the Cullens."

"Sorry Sam, it's Edward Whitlock now. He was on the original treaty with the Cullens but he kind of has red eyes now. Don't mess with him, ok? He knows to stay away from the rez."

_No biggie. I'll keep watch out for him. _

"Hey Sam?" Peter called out.

_Uh, yeah?_

"This is Peter. Can you do us a favor and keep an eye out for Alice Cullen? She is a threat to our mate and she is currently missing. Feel free to use her as a chew toy if you find her, but don't burn her until we get a chance to talk to her, ok?"

Sam's deep laugh echoed through the phone. _Sure thing, I never liked her much anyway and she despises me because I block her precious visions._

"Small world, Sam. She hates me for the exact same reason! Look forward to meeting you soon."

_You too. Jasper really deserves to be happy, I'm glad you're here now._

"Thanks Sam, I'll call you later, ok?" I hung up the phone with a smile, and a much happier outlook than before.

I put my phone back in my pocket just as we pulled into a long driveway. We stopped in front of a modest brick home on about three acres of land. I was immediately struck by the difference between this house and the Cullens'. This looked comfortable, homey, understated; I could see myself living here. I smiled and sent Peter my admiration and he turned to me and said, "This is all Bella. She used that computer thing to find this place. She made sure it was in the perfect location, and that it had easy access to a wooded area in case you didn't want to change your diet. She thought of everythin'." Computer thing? Did Pete mean the internet? How far behind the times is he staying? I guess the 8-track in the car should be telling me something...

"Bella, this is great! It's beautiful here. But Pete, believe me, I plan on huntin' with you from now on. We have too much lost time to make up for."

His reply was cut off when Edward came running into the yard, radiating absolute fury. I growled instinctively before I had a chance to tighten my emotions, but I instantly relaxed when I felt Bella's small hand on my back. As Peter went toward Edward I pulled Bella around and buried my face in her hair, breathing deeply. She giggled after a minute and said, "I guess I'll have to get used to two vampires constantly sniffing me now."

I pulled back, completely embarrassed, and said, "I'm so sorry. I didn't even think about it. I just feel so comfortable with you. I didn't mean to bother you."

"Jasper, believe me, you didn't bother me at all. To be honest, I'm glad you're comfortable with me. I worried that you might be jealous of me. And I feel really connected with you, like I've known you forever. I am really looking forward to getting to know you better." When she said that, the little minx pressed her warm body up against me and deliberately sent me some lust.

I growled and dipped my head so my mouth was right next to her ear and whispered, "You're playin' with fire, darlin'." I smirked when I felt her desire shoot up and she shivered against me.

Peter cleared his throat and I felt his desire mixed with amusement as he looked over at us. "If you two are finished, Edward needs to talk to us. Wanna go inside?" I took his hand and followed him through the door, pulling Bella along with me.

We sat down on the living room sofa, me in the middle, with Pete and Bella on either side. Edward came and stood in front of us and started pacing in agitation. "Peter, you're probably going to need to hold Bella when I'm telling you this, it's not going to be easy for you to hear." Bella hopped up and sat in Peter's lap, draping her legs across me and turned to look at Edward.

"Ok, so, when Bella came up to Jasper in the cafeteria, I'm sure you all heard what Alice said right?" He paused while we all nodded. "I saw what she was thinking and it took every ounce of control I had not to rip her to shreds right there in front of everyone. Peter, she saw a vision of Bella as an infant being shaken by her father, before her future went black. She also saw Denver."

I heard Peter and Bella gasp and cling to each other tightly as soon as Edward said that. I was almost scared to ask but I had to know, "What happened in Denver?"

Bella looked between Peter and Edward before facing me and pulling up the sleeve of her shirt. I felt my eyes darken as I looked at the shiny venom scar on her wrist. I looked straight at Peter and growled, "What the hell is this?"

Edward and Peter were both putting off anger, regret, and fear when Peter started talking. "Jasper, this is somethin' I have to apologize for. I didn't do my job right. I didn't protect our mate. She was twelve years old and I left her home with just Edward when I went to hunt in the city. Two soldiers came up from the south and attacked him; they tore him to pieces before Garrett showed up and intervened. But before he could stop them, one of them bit Bella. She was too young to turn, so Garrett sucked the venom out. That's when I showed up. I don't remember much but I ripped them to shreds and then we got the hell out of there and moved up to Canada, where we've been the past four years."

The guilt that Peter and Edward were putting out by the end was suffocating me. I grasped Pete's shoulder and looked him straight in the eye. "You did the best you could. It's just as much my fault as it is yours. I should have come to you long before then. You shouldn't have had to handle it on your own." I turned to look at Edward and said, "Thank you for protecting my mate. I will never be able to repay you for that."

Edward nodded at me and then Peter said, "Ok, so she had visions of what she thought was Bella's death, but was actually my presence causing her to disappear. But the point is she knew Jasper had a mate in trouble and she never told him about her. Is that right?"

Nodding again, Edward continued, "Yes, but there's more. And in some ways it's worse. When Jasper first came to you outside and was begging you not to leave, Alice was guarding her thoughts closely, but one memory slipped through. She was in Carlisle's office in the Springfield house pulling a note out of the safe. She must have destroyed it before they left. She didn't want us to find the family."

We all sat there in stunned silence for a minute while this information sank in. Bella was the first to speak, "Does this mean what I think it means? She deliberately kept Jasper away from the two of us. She interfered between mates. That's a capital offense, right? You can kill her?"

Peter sighed and said, "Sugar, it ain't that simple. The Volturi handles cases like this and we can't risk takin' it to them. They would kill us or tie us to their guard if they knew about us. I can't let that happen."

"Damn it Peter, you sound just like Carlisle. I just had the same fight with him. He spouted some shit about her visions being subjective and how she didn't directly cause harm to anyone. I lived with you Peter- I saw exactly what harm she caused you! You could barely breathe before we found Bella and then you still spent most of your time talking about Jasper and how you wished he was there. This is seriously fucked up! We have to kill her." I couldn't agree with Edward more. I had killed for far less than this, and I had no problem doing it again.

"I don't know about you, Captain, but I don't give a shit about no laws. I'm gonna rip that bitch apart next time I see her and anyone who gets between us too." Bella shocked the hell out of me by climbing over onto my lap and straddling me. Lust was rolling off her in waves and I thought I felt a small burst of love as well. She pulled my face to her and kissed me deeply. Her sweet taste and hot mouth were like nothing I had ever experienced before.

"Well, hello Major. I've been dying to meet you. So glad you could finally join us." she smirked and ground her hot core down on my suddenly rock-hard cock before leaning in to kiss me again.

Edward cleared his throat and Peter raised his eyebrow at Bella. "Can we finish our discussion before you take advantage of my mate?" I laughed when she stuck her tongue out at him and sat down between us. "So, what's our plan?"

"I think we need to wait here. Alice will come back, she won't give up everything she has worked so hard for- mainly the family and Jasper. When she comes back, we take her out. Who cares if Carlisle has a problem with it, he's just as much at fault as she is so he can't press his case either." Edward had no reservations about taking out his former sister. His dedication to my mates made me slightly jealous, but he felt only familial love and devotion to them so I knew I had nothing to worry about.

"Ok, so we're stuck in the great town of Forks for now. Are y'all goin' back to school or hangin' around the house with your old man?" Peter was trying to joke but he felt insecure as well.

"Pete, you know I love you, my ancient vampire, but Jasper is older than you. Anyway, I didn't want to go to school with the humans in the first place. I got who I came for, no need for me to go back!" Bella was smug and she shot Edward a triumphant grin.

"Ugh, Bella. Why are you so stubborn? You _are human!_ It wouldn't kill you to act like one every now and then. One hour and one half day at school does not make a full education. Besides, I had those girls eating out my hand." Edward was pouting. The century-old, red-eyed vampire was full out pouting. It was hilarious, until I realized what he said.

"You've never been to school, Bella? How much time have you spent around humans?" Just how isolated had they kept my mate?

"I don't like humans. They are slow, and stupid, and they don't smell as good as vampires. Just because I'm stuck being human until one of you bites me, doesn't mean I have to like it!" She crossed her arms and sat back with a huff.

I met Peter's eyes over her head and sent him my curiosity. "All we can figure is she didn't get off to the best start with her human parents, and from the minute I found her she was right at home with me and Eddie. As hard as I am, she slept on my chest until she was 7. She loves being carried at vampire speed and she seems to get as much comfort from my scent as a vampire mate would. It honestly seems like she was born to be a vampire; she's going to be even more amazing once she's changed."

I thought over the situation and realized this could be my opportunity to do something for my new mate. "How would you feel about school if you were datin' the boy who had turned everyone else down? We could switch some of your classes to mine and we could spend some time gettin' to know each other. Would you try it for a few days at least? I've missed out on so much of your life, I'd like to experience somethin' new with you, before your change."

Her huge brown eyes narrowed at me slightly, trying to gauge my sincerity. She looked at Peter and raised her eyebrows; when he nodded she let out a big breath and said, "Ok, Mr. Guilt Trip. I'll try school, but only for a few days. If we don't get this Alice thing cleared up soon I'm dropping out, for good this time. Deal?"

Peter, Edward, and I all had on identical smiles and we nodded simultaneously. I couldn't wait to show off my mate to those children at school, both the girls who had been relentlessly pursuing me, and the boys who had their eye on Bella. Then I thought of something, "Pete, what about you? Will you be ok without us that long? We don't want to leave you out."

He waved off my concerns. "I won't be far. I'll run perimeters at the school and keep an eye out for the pixie bitch. I'm glad Bella will go to school, you managed to do somethin' Eddie and I couldn't talk her into for anythin'. But I guess this means you have to stick to your diet for now? Would the other students notice if your eyes suddenly changed color?"

Damn, I didn't think of that. "I'll survive. Maybe I'll wait until we change Bella and we can all enjoy our first hunt together. We are changin' her soon, right?"

"Yeah, as much as I'd like to put it off a few years, it's probably safer if we do it sooner rather than later. She'll drive me up a wall if I make her wait longer too." Peter smiled at the end but I could feel his disappointment. He really wanted our mate to stay human longer.

"Ok, ok. Enough fun at my expense. I need to get to bed if I have to get up early for _school_ in the morning." She spat the word out like it tasted bad. "Do I have to sleep alone or what?"

I exchanged a glance with Peter. I really wanted to get him alone but I had a feeling we needed to talk through some things first. I also really wanted to snuggle up with my soft, warm mate while she slept. He sent me his agreement and said, "We'll be up in a minute. Get your shower and let us know when you're ready, ok?"

As we settled into bed, my mates argued for a minute over who was "sleeping" where. They finally agreed that I should be in the middle and I swear I felt my heart beat again when Bella put her head on my chest and wrapped her body around me. Pete curled up next to me as well and laid his head on my shoulder with his hand resting on Bella's back. For the first time in my very long life I felt completely whole.

I sent my mates my peace and contentment as Bella drifted off to sleep. Peter and I held tight to each other and began talking quietly about the past 60 years of our lives. We talked about the places we had been and things we had seen. He told me about raising Bella and promised to show me her photo albums tomorrow. As Bella drifted deeper into sleep and rolled away from me I pulled Peter tight to me and kissed him deeply. We slowly and quietly reaffirmed our love for each other and silently vowed to never let go.


	20. Chapter 20

_**A/N: There is a sort-of lemon at the end of this chapter. Nothing graphic, there probably won't be much of that in this story. It's more about their relationship than the sex. This is a bit of a filler chapter, but the action will pick up back soon! Thanks for reading!**_

_Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story line, SM owns the characters I'm just having fun with them._

**Jasper POV  
**I had never been this excited to go to school before. I had lost count of how many times I had repeated high school and how many college degrees I had; this felt like my very first day of school. Bella and I kissed Peter before we loaded up in the car with Edward to head into town. Peter was going to follow us on foot and we promised to sneak out to meet him during lunch.

I was a little surprised when Bella grabbed the keys and hopped into the driver's seat. I asked her if Peter let her drive his car very often and she turned her little nose up at me and told me it was her car. "He bought you a 1967 Mustang Fastback for your 16th birthday? Is he nuts? This car is a classic!"

Edward laughed from the backseat, "No, he bought the car for himself in 1967. Bella gave him the puppy dog eyes and he turned over the keys when we left Calgary. She is absolutely spoiled rotten."

"No, I'm not. I just have a very loving and giving mate. And besides, how can you call something a classic when you're over 100 years older than it is? That just doesn't make sense at all."

"Well, darlin', we didn't have cars back then. Their age is based on a different scale, kind of like dog years. And apparently Peter is on his own timescale as well- what does the man have against technology?"

Bella's laugh warmed me deep inside. "He gave up when 8-tracks went out of fashion. Edward couldn't get him to buy a cd player at all and he still won't touch a computer. The only reason he has a cell phone is because I bought it and programmed his numbers in and gave him a two-hour long tutorial on how to use the damn thing. I swear he is just a grouchy old man in a super hot body."

Edward and I couldn't contain our laughter at that. They told me a few more stories of Peter's anti-modern tendencies and then I brought up something I meant to ask last night.

"Bella, I know you said you were born here, but have you tried to find out if people are still looking for you? Are you a missing person or anything?"

She sighed and I felt some fear and bitterness when she answered. "I did a search and found out that my birth mom moved to Florida, she's married to some baseball player and has a whole new family. My father still lives here and he's the fucking chief of police. How is that for irony? But I didn't find any record of my birth or disappearance. I might be able to find something in the local newspaper from that time, but I don't know where to find that."

"We could check the school library- sometimes they keep an archive of things like that. If they don't, the newspaper office may have it. If it's something that you want to look into that is." I let her think in silence for the rest of the ride to school, her emotions were cycling too fast for me to keep up with. My mate had the strongest emotions of anyone I had ever felt, even Peter. I was really enjoying learning her personality through them.

We pulled up at school about twenty minutes early so we could get Bella's schedule rearranged. She ended up with all but two classes with me, and we had two of our afternoon classes with Edward. Walking out of the office with my arm around her and her other arm linked with Edward, she got a lot of stares and I heard way too many rude comments. Slut, whore, etc. I gritted my teeth and fought back a growl as the disgusting humans insulted my mate. Edward caught my eye and whispered at vampire speed, "Be grateful you don't have to hear their thoughts as well."

We stopped in front of Bella's first class. I had to leave her here with Edward but I was going to leave with a show. I backed her up against the lockers and kissed her long and deep. When I pulled away so she could breathe I ducked my head to her neck and breathed in her mouth-watering scent. I noticed she was doing the same and then she whispered, "I love that you're wearing Peter's shirt. Smelling both of you together is just heavenly. I can't get enough." I knew exactly what she meant- the only thing that smelled better than one of my mates, was both of them.

Peter had thrown a fit when I unpacked the clothes that Edward brought me. He burned all of the shirts Alice had bought me, along with my dress pants. I managed to hang onto my jeans because I was two inches taller than Pete and his jeans are too short for me. I didn't have a problem wearing Peter's shirts though, it made me feel closer to him.

I took off my jacket and wrapped it around her, "Here, take this, you can smell both of us this way." I felt her lust spike as she looked at my tight black t-shirt.

"Plus, the view is much better," she said as she winked and turned to follow Edward into the class. "See ya later, Major."

Damn, she's gonna kill me. What can I think of to get this raging hard-on to go down? Umm, dead puppies, skunk blood, Emmett in a speedo, Alice... there, that worked! Alice. Now I can go to class without a tent in my jeans. I walked into my least favorite class, history, and sat down next to Rose. She was bouncing in her seat with excitement, very different from her normal aloof personality.

"So, Jasper, my twin never made it home last night. Know anything about that?"

"Well, Mrs. McCarty, I'm not sure about Jasper Hale, but Jasper Whitlock spent the night wrapped in the arms of his mates." I couldn't keep the cheesy grin off my face and I felt Rose's joy and fascination.

"I've never seen you this happy before, brother. I'm so glad for you. You deserve the best." Her mood abruptly changed and she continued with a fierce scowl on her face. "I can't believe we let the stupid pixie manipulate us all these years. I'm so sorry for my part in this, I should have dragged you out of that house by your ear and taken you home to Peter. I should have never let us leave the first time. I'm so, so sorry, Jasper." Her sorrow and regret were palpable, so I sent her some peace and forgiveness.

"Don't dwell on it, Rose. We all fell for it; she was a master manipulator. If you want to make it up to me, just help me keep an eye on Bella until we take care of Alice. We can use all the help we can get, and I'd really like it if you two could become friends. I really don't want to lose you and Emmett when I leave with Pete and Bella."

"Of course, you can always count on me. You know Emmett will feel the same. You're our brother, no matter what."

"Thanks, Rose."

I settled back to daydream about my mates and got a warm feeling when I heard Bella's name called in her classroom, "Isabella Whitlock." I was so glad Peter gave her my name. It made me feel like I was connected to her even when I wasn't there.

When the bell rang, I jumped up and ran out of the room to meet Bella for our next class. She met me in the hallway and jumped straight into my arms and wrapped her legs around my waist, pulling me in for a kiss. Her warm hands were tangled in my hair and I felt a purr build in my chest when Bella pulled away in shock.

"You purred for me!" Her face was lit up in a blinding smile. "That's just, I mean, I... Thank you Jasper, that means so much to me." She broke off and kissed me again, with the same results. This time I had to pull back.

"Bella, darlin', I can't be purrin' in the middle of school. Somebody might notice. Let's get to class, ok? You can make me purr all you want to later on." I dropped her down the ground and put my arm around her to follow Edward to class. I laughed when I heard him mutter something about really needing to find himself a mate.

The rest of the morning was perfect, I had Bella in every class and I didn't pay a bit of attention to the teachers. We whispered to each other and passed notes back and forth, talking about anything and everything we could think of. Bella's mood was positive until we walked down the hall to the cafeteria. As we passed the library, her steps faltered and her mood shifted abruptly. "Bella, what's wrong?" I pulled her around to face me but she cut her eyes toward the library instead.

"Jasper, you know what you said earlier? I think I want to look. Will you help me?" Her voice was so small and unsure that I pulled her to me and hugged her tight.

"Of course I will. Wanna do it right now? We can skip lunch if you're not hungry."

"Yeah, I think I need to before I lose my nerve. Let's go."

We walked into the library and asked the elderly librarian if she could show us where the old newspapers were kept. She led us to another room off the back of the main room where there were large files of bound newspapers. We easily located the right year and pulled several days' worth of papers out to look. I took September 18, the day after Peter found her, and she took the 19th. We sat quietly flipping through the papers for several minutes when Bella's breathing picked up and I was slammed with her emotions of disbelief, abandonment, and misery. I jumped up and ran to her, wrapping my arms around her and trying to fill her with as much calm as I could manage. It didn't seem to making an impact so I tried to look at the article she was reading but she was hunched over it, blocking it from my view.

"Bella, darlin', you gotta talk to me. What is it, what did you find? Please, tell me."

After a few false starts and shuddering breaths, she raised her head and looked at me. "Alice was right. She did see me die. Isabella Swan is dead."

"What? What are you talking about? I don't understand, sugar." I reached down for my phone and texted Edward to let him know where we were in case Peter came looking for us. I was pretty sure he would feel her distress right now, as high as it was.

Just as I got the text sent I heard the door open behind us and Peter came rushing in. He looked at me and then at Bella, before scooping her up and sitting down in the chair and tucking her head under his chin. "Shh, baby girl. What is it, what's wrong? Let me help you, little one. Please? I love you so much."

I stood up and shut the door to give us some privacy and came to stand behind them. I finally got a look at the article she was reading.

_**Town Mourns Life Lost too Early**  
Forks gathered together as a community today to lay to rest the tiny daughter of police officer Charles Swan, and his wife, Renee. Isabella was found dead in her crib, just four days after she born. The coroner ruled her death to be of natural causes. Her parents declined to comment, appearing to be too grief-stricken to speak. A close family friend, Billy Black, said, "We will miss Isabella. She was a beautiful child, sent to earth for a brief moment to touch all our lives with joy. Her father loved her dearly and she was the light of his life. Her parents are devastated with her passing."  
After the ceremony at Forks Christian Church, Isabella was buried in the community cemetery. The Forks Gazette sends our condolences to this dear family._

"They didn't even try to look for me. They got the coroner to lie for them and they killed me. What kind of sick people did I come from?" Her voice was hollow and her pain was still sharp. I looked at Peter and he was positively livid. His eyes were black and he was shaking with rage. I reached for Bella and told him to go- I would meet him outside.

I called Edward and told him to follow Pete out while I put the newspapers back up. I debated keeping the article about Bella but decided against it. It wasn't a happy memory for her to keep. I needed to get her out of here so she can work through this. I was seriously regretting bringing up this whole idea, I'm not sure if knowing was actually better than not knowing in this case.

With the room back in order, I turned to my beautiful little mate, steeling myself against the onslaught of her unchecked pain. Her eyes were open but she wasn't seeing me, or anything else in the room. I gathered her in my arms and began purring, this time for comfort instead of from pleasure. I pulled her face into my neck and began speaking softly.

"Bella? Sweetheart? I need you to let me in, please. I can't help you if you won't let me, please don't push me away. I know you're hurtin' right now and I want to help but my power's not gettin' through. Listen to me, it's Jasper, it's your mate, darlin'. Please let me help you. We need to go see Peter, he's hurtin' too, but I need to get you calm enough that we can leave the building without any problems. Can you hear me, baby? Please?"

I finally felt her fingers clench my shirt and she took a deep staggering breath before whispering, "Jasper?"

"Yeah darlin', it's me. I'm gonna try to calm you some now, ok? Don't fight me please." When I tried again, my gift worked and I felt her relax in my arms and her breathing steady out. She tucked her nose closer to my neck and breathed deeply a few times before she lifted her head.

"Can we go now? I need my Pete." Her voice was so small, so broken, I had to fight back a wave of rage at her so-called parents. I pulled her to her feet, put my arm around her shoulders, and we quickly walked out to the parking lot. Edward was already behind the wheel but Peter was pacing back and forth with his hands knotted in his hair. When we came outside he ran over and picked Bella up, holding her close to him and whispering in her ear. She finally started crying as he spoke to her.

"Baby girl, I'm so sorry. I love you so much, you know that, right? You are everything to me, I would never let you go. I would _never_ stop searching for you if you were taken from me. Your father was a worthless prick; I should have killed when I had the chance. He never deserved you. You were always meant to be here with me, with us, with your mates. You belong with us, little one, and we are so happy to have you, so happy to love you."

I tried my best to choke down the pain I felt at his words. This was about Bella, not about me. She needed reassurance and support right now. I took a deep breath and walked over to put my arms around them both. "Let's get out of here, ok? She'll feel better at home." I turned and opened the door so Pete and Bella could slip into the back seat. When I got in the front Edward caught my eye and sent me sympathy and understanding, so I knew he heard my thoughts.

The ride home was silent, apart from Bella's sniffles and Pete's occasional purring. I slowly let up on the calm I was sending her so she could process her emotions and work through them. When she reached up and laid her hand on my shoulder and sent me her thanks, my heart warmed and I realized just how much I already loved this little human. I couldn't wait to tell her.

As soon as the car stopped, I pulled Bella out and wrapped her in my arms. "Are you feelin' any better, darlin'? I'm truly sorry for makin' you go through that. I should have never brought it up. Can you forgive me?"

She looked up at me, shocked. "Are you serious, Jasper? Why would I blame you for my worthless parents? I'm glad you were there for me and that I wasn't alone when I found out. It was something I needed to know and now I can move past it. Thank you for helping me, really. It means a lot to me. I love you, Jasper."

Now it was my turn to be shocked. I checked her emotions and she was sending me strong, pure, love. I pulled her up and kissed her hard, my tongue taking complete control of her mouth. She groaned and pulled her legs up to wrap around my waist, grinding hard against me. My right hand left her waist to snake up under her shirt and palm her breast. She arched into my hand and threw her head back, exposing her throat to me. I ducked my head to kiss and nip up her neck, when I felt Peter come up behind me and push his hips into mine. "I need you," he whispered roughly, "I need both of you."

**Bella POV  
**Jasper carried me into the house with Peter trailing close behind us. I had no idea where Edward disappeared to, and I couldn't find it in me to care at the moment. I sucked and licked on Jasper's neck all the way to the bedroom. His skin tasted heavenly, a spicy mint with another sweet flavor I couldn't quite recognize. He laid me carefully on the bed and pulled back to look at me. "Are you sure, Bella? I don't want to rush you."

"I'm sure Jasper, I need you. I need you right now. Please, make me yours." He nodded and then turned to look at Peter, who pulled him in for a kiss. I was never going to get used to that. I could sit and watch them together all day and never get tired of it. They think I slept through their little love fest last night, but I woke up and watched them together; it was so beautiful I found myself crying. I wanted to love them the way they loved each other. I felt Jasper's insecurity in the car and he needed to know that he was ours and we were his. He didn't belong anywhere other than right here with us.

I wasn't even embarrassed when Peter told him, "It's her first time, so be gentle, ok?" Jasper looked shocked but I just smiled at him and nodded, trying to pull him back down to me. Tasting Peter in Jasper's mouth made my desire shoot up more than it already was. "You mean, you haven't?" His voice trailed off as he looked between us.

I smiled at Peter and he looked back at Jasper and said, "I told you, we were waiting for you. We've always been waiting for you. We love you, let us show you that."

Jasper was a tender, selfless lover and I blossomed under his attention. I felt nothing but pleasure, despite his larger-than-average size. He used his gift to take my pain and replace it with desire. When Peter came up behind him and the three of us were finally one, Jasper bounced our love and lust between us until we all fell over the edge together. As his cold seed spilled into me, he ducked his head to my chest and started sobbing. "I love you so much, I love both of you so much. This is so much more than I could have ever hoped to deserve. Thank you."

We curled up on the bed, with me tucked securely between my boys, and I drifted off to sleep. Just before I was gone I told them, "I do hope you know I'm never going back to school again." Their laughter carried me off to sweet dreams of cold, strong arms and my two perfect mates.


	21. Chapter 21

**_A/N: this chapter will contain character death. Not that I think anyone will mind... And to answer a few questions I've gotten: 1)No, Bella is not Edward's singer. Her blood does not appeal to Peter or Jasper at all, but her other vampire friends are all very well fed and they are able to be around her without too much difficulty. 2) if you haven't noticed yet, most of these characters are very far from the original cannon. I enjoy making them my own and you will find very few, if any, characters who fit the original twilight mold. Keep that in mind for the next few chapters especially._**

* * *

_Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story line, SM owns the characters I'm just having fun with them._

**Peter POV  
**We sat and watched Bella sleep for almost an hour before either of us spoke. I held his hand and sent him my love and reassurance; he seemed to be thinking hard about something. I was about to ask him what it was when Bella's phone rang. I hopped up and dug in her jeans pocket to answer it. Catching Jasper's admiring gaze, I left my pants off and stood watching him. I glanced at the phone before answering, "Hello Victoria. What's up?"

_Oh, hi Peter. Is Bella busy?_

"Well, she's sleepin', I think we wore her out fuckin' the Major and all." Jasper rolled his eyes and pulled me back down on the bed, next to him this time.

_Are you kidding? Damn, you move fast. So our baby girl is a woman now, huh? _

"Yeah, Vic, she's one hell of a woman." I ran my hand through Jasper's curls, causing his eyes to close, and he started purring.

_Oh, is the Major there with you now? Oh, God, you're not naked are you? Never mind, don't answer that. I don't want to know._

Jasper and I both laughed and I said, "Ok, I won't answer that. So, did you just call to check in with Bella or did you need something?"

_Well, we were actually calling to let you know we'll be down there tomorrow. We were going to make it tonight but something came up and we're going to be a bit later than we thought. We'll fill you in when we get there. Oh, does the Major know?_

Jasper's eyes shot to me and he sent me his curiosity. It was amazing to me how fast we picked back up with our silent communication and from what I could see, Bella was picking it up just as quickly. "No, Vic, but if you're comin' here I better fill him in. Just call us when you get close, I'm not sure where we'll be tomorrow. Bella dropped out of school again."

_Are you serious? How long did she make it this time? _

"She made it to lunch the past two days. Yesterday we found Jasper, today she found out some unpleasant news regardin' her birth parents. Kind of shook her up so we took her home."

_Poor baby. Tell her I'll see her tomorrow. Go have fun with your mates, Captain! Bye!_

"Bye Vic. See ya tomorrow." I put Bella's phone down and turned to Jasper. "So, Bella's best friend is coming tomorrow, and she'll be bringin' her mate_s_." I paused a minute to see if Jasper would catch the emphasis I put on the plural. His eyes got wide and I nodded to him. "Yes, they are a part of a triad as well. But that's not all; you know one of her mates, and he's honestly a bit nervous about seein' ya again. He's got a healthy fear of the Major, even after all this time."

"Who do I know that would know the Major? It's not Garrett is it? I haven't seen him, and I know you said you were friends."

"No, it's not Garrett. It's... James." I waited to see how he would take the news. He never had a real problem with James that I knew of, they were both just tools of Maria and she used them to keep each other in line. I think they could be friends now that they were out of the war zone.

"James? You trust him? I'm sorry, of course you trust him if you let him around our mate. I guess I'll just have to give him a chance. Who's their other mate?"

"He's a French guy named Laurent. They're an interestin' group. Bella and Vickie are as close as sisters. Neither of them really had any female friends so they bonded almost immediately. Not many people know about their mating, but James figured ours out when he saw me with Bella so he trusted us with their secret. In the public eye, James and Victoria are mates; Laurent is just a member of their coven. That's how I will introduce them if they meet anyone while they are here."

"Ok, I gotcha. I hadn't really thought about how we would have to hide things from other vampires. I don't like that idea at all. Who gets to be Bella's mate?"

"Don't borrow trouble, Major. We got enough problems to think on right now. Let's just take it one day at a time." He laid his head back down on my chest and I took a moment to just be with him, before I heard the door open and Edward came in the house.

"Are you done yet? Do I need to run away again?" He called from the living room.

"Yeah, we're done, but we're still naked so don't come in." Jasper laughed.

"And thanks for that visual, Major. Really didn't need to see that. Whatever you do, PLEASE don't show me anything x-rated of my baby sister. I don't want to have to bleach my brain." Of course the first thing you do when someone tells you not to think of something, is think of it. "Damn it Peter! Seriously? God, I hope Bella can shield the two of you when she's changed. Otherwise I'll have to move."

"Sorry Edward, couldn't help it. Hey- Vickie called a minute ago, said they're headed this way tomorrow. Are you gonna be here or you goin' to school again?"

"I'll probably go to school. Somebody has to make excuses for the dropouts. You can call me when they get here and I'll head home. Hey, does Bella know they're coming?"

"No, I thought I would surprise her when they get here. You know she loves surprises, and I'm sure she's been missin' Vickie. She'll be excited for James and Jasper to meet again too, after all he's told her." Jasper looked up at me curiously. I just shook my head and mouthed, _later_. I think I'll let Bella fill him in on all the stories James told her about the Major.

Jasper jumped up and said he better call Sam and let him know we were expecting visitors, but when Sam answered the phone his voice sounded irritated and tired.

"Sam? You alright?"

_No, I've had better days. I had two new wolves phase last night and two more boys are showing the signs. What sucks is one of my new ones doesn't like the fact that I let human drinkers live in Forks. He went and told the fucking tribal elders about it. _

"Sam, are my mates in danger? Do we need to leave?" I was growling and Jasper came to sit back down beside me. We each put a hand on Bella to calm ourselves.

_No, I put an order on them so they can't approach you at all. The only problem we may have is when Jacob Black phases, it looks like it could be any day now. But he's the true alpha and I'm not sure my orders will work on him._

"Well, I hate to make things harder for you but I was calling to let you know that we have three more visitors coming tomorrow. But we'll keep them close to us, ok?"

_Yeah... ok. Well, I probably shouldn't be talking to you too much or they'll get more pissed at me. See you later, Jasper._

"Ok, Sam. Bye."

I didn't really like the idea of more wolves phasing. It was easy to maintain order when there is just one, but add more to the mix and something is bound to happen. I also didn't like the idea of my mate having to lose his best friend.

* * *

We were still laying in bed the next morning, and Edward was getting ready for school, when Jasper's phone rang. "Rose, what's up?"

_Hey Jasper, are Peter and Edward around? _

"Yeah," he answered as I sat up and Edward came running in the room. I looked to make sure Bella was covered as he spoke again, "What did you need?"

_Well, I don't know how to say this gently. Alice is back. _

Jasper jumped up growling and I caught Bella and pulled her close to me before she could roll off the bed. I shot my mate a glare, and sent one to Edward for good measure. "Where is she? Are you holding her this time?" he asked.

_Yeah, we have her. Esme wants us to meet somewhere away from the house so we don't tear it to pieces, but I think she really just wants to meet Bella and she knows you won't bring her here. _

"Ok, um, what about that big clearing we found huntin' last month? The one Emmett said would make a good baseball field? Meet us there in an hour?" He raised his eyes at me and Edward to make sure and we both nodded.

_Sure. I'll be glad to get this bitch out of my hair. She's been whining to Carlisle about her stupid visions and how she can explain everything and how she's so misunderstood. _

"Yeah, well, she'll understand me just fine when I rip her spiky little head off. Thanks for callin', Rose. We'll see ya soon."

_Bye, brother. _

He turned to face me and took a deep breath. I waved him over to my side and pulled him close. "We're almost finished. Once she's gone, we can move on and nothin' can keep us apart." I sent him my hope and he ducked his head to run his nose along his mating mark. I knew we needed to wake Bella up so she could get ready but I didn't want to leave the safety of his arms yet.

Bella finally stirred and looked up at us smiling. "I wouldn't mind staying human a little longer if I can wake up to this sight every morning." She leaned over to kiss each of us and the sheet slipped off of her, bringing my little soldier to full attention. I groaned and reached for a t-shirt to put over her.

"Baby girl, if we're gonna leave this room you're gonna have to get dressed. We have to leave in about twenty minutes to go meet the Cullens."

She pouted and I leaned over to suck her bottom lip into my mouth for a minute, only pulling back when I felt Jasper had the same problem I did now. "Why do we have to meet the stupid veggie vamps? Sorry, no offense, Jasper."

"None taken, sweetheart. We have to meet them because Alice is back in town and we need to get this problem taken care of now."

"Oh, ok. Well, let me jump in the shower and grab something to eat." She jumped up and headed out the door, before turning around to look at us with a sly grin. "I'm sure you two can take care of your _other_ problems while I'm gone, right?" I stared after her for a minute before Jasper growled and pounced on me. Well, good morning to you too, Major!

**Bella POV  
**I was really nervous as we ran through the woods to meet the Cullens. Of course Jasper, who was carrying me, immediately sent me some calming waves and I tucked my head further into his chest to breathe in his scent. I felt, rather than heard, his purr and I leaned up to kiss his neck in thanks. "Darlin', keep that up and we'll be makin' a pit stop behind one of these trees." I just giggled and heard Peter growl in response.

"Knock it off lovebirds, we're almost there. They're waiting for us, and not very patiently." Edward said.

I sighed and behaved myself for the rest of the run. Running with Jasper was different from running with Eddie or Pete. Jasper felt like pure power. I could feel his barely contained strength as he cradled me gently, and he had a smoother run than I would have expected from his sheer size. It was incredibly arousing, and my mates were picking up on that.

As Jasper sat me down just outside the clearing, he pulled me in for a dominating kiss, lifting me a foot off the ground. Before I could catch my breath, he turned me around to Peter who did the same thing, but backed me into a tree and ground his hips against me. "Baby girl, once you're changed, we ain't leavin' the bedroom for a week at least."

When he tried to put me back on the ground, my legs wouldn't hold me up, so he just swung me back up into his arms and marched into the clearing behind Jasper and Edward. My boys instantly turned serious as soon as we cleared the trees and I watched their eyes go black simultaneously as they looked at Alice. Peter held me closer to him and Jasper and Edward closed rank in front of us.

There was a silent standoff for a few minutes until Carlisle stepped forward (or I assumed it was Carlisle, based on the descriptions I had received). "Jasper, Peter, I'm glad you agreed to meet with us. I hope we can work this out civilly. Will you introduce us to your mate?" Yeah, sure, because that went so well the last time you met Peter's mate...

The Major and Captain answered in perfect unison with a hard, "No."

Before anyone else spoke, the vampires all turned their heads to the north end of the clearing. My boys all relaxed slightly, but Alice had an evil grin on her face and she was looking straight at me. What was that about? It was a few minutes before I heard the sound of vampires running toward us and then they broke through the trees in front of us. They walked in a v-formation, with their leader at the front and the other two flanking him. From a distance they looked wild, untamed, with their bright ruby eyes and tattered clothing. I stifled a giggle; the boys must have been fighting on the way here- I bet Vickie wasn't happy with them.

As they came closer, Edward shot across to where Emmett was holding Alice and grabbed hold of her as well. Her look of glee changed to one of confusion.

"Major, Captain, nice to see you again." James addressed my boys with his head bowed and neck exposed.

"Lieutenant. Can't say I ever thought I'd see you again. Pete said you ran from Texas with the devil on your heels." Jasper sounded more like himself and his eyes lightened some.

"That I did. Gotta know when to fight and when to be smart. From what I heard, the Captain and I were the only ones to survive the day. I'd say I made the right choice." James sounded more formal than he normally did, and I could tell how much he respected my mates.

"So, what brings you by here today?" Peter asked, but I could tell by his smirk he knew they were coming- he loved to surprise me.

"Well, as you know, my mate wanted to come see Bella, so we started this way a few days ago. But yesterday after we hunted in Seattle, we were approached by the seer over there who offered us a sum of money to take out a human girl who was being protected by a group of vampires." There were stunned gasps from everyone except Edward and Alice. Peter held me tighter and growled, and Jasper stepped back to bury his face in my hair. I put a hand on each of them and whispered that I was ok.

"Of course, we knew who she was talking about and we thought about just killing her ourselves but I thought her mates might want that honor. We didn't want her approaching anyone else so we told her we would do it. She must not have seen that she was talking about my mate's best friend and my little sister." James really sees me that way? That's so sweet! I sent him a smile and Vickie smiled back and winked at me. I was so glad she was here.

"Lieutenant, can I trust your coven to help guard my mate with the Captain? Edward and I have a vampire to question." Jasper was back in full Major mode.

"We will guard her with our lives, sir." James nodded and they made their way over to us.

**Edward POV  
**I was having trouble keeping my anger in check as I listened to all the murderous thoughts around me. Alice was trying her best to cover her guilt but I knew it wouldn't matter once Jasper got hold of her. Carlisle tried to speak when Jasper started toward us but he was cut off by the Major's sharp words, "Doctor, you best keep yer mouth shut and stay out of my way. I'll deal with you next."

Esme and Rose were standing together between the two opposing sides, but they had moved slightly closer to Bella and Peter, while Carlisle stayed closer to Alice. I told Emmett that no matter what happens, he can't let go of Alice. We can't risk her getting away again. He nodded at me and then locked his eyes on Jasper, or the Major as he obviously was now.

He stopped right in front of us, with his black eyes glaring at Alice. His posture looked deceptively relaxed, with his feet shoulder-width apart and his arms crossed. _Edward, I'm gonna try to get her to talk but if she won't you need to listen to whatever she thinks, got it?_ I nodded my head and he began pushing his gift at Alice, filling her with compliance and honesty. I got ready to listen.

"Why did you separate me from my mates?"

"I will never answer you." _You were supposed to be mine! You were my ticket to power! I just needed you broken so you could realize that._

"Major, she wanted to break you because she thought you belonged with her, she called you her ticket to power." As I spoke, I heard growls from across the field, Peter's was almost deafening, and I heard Bella's familiar little kitten growl as well.

"What power are you talking about? I was never meant to be yours, I despise you."

Alice remained silent but still couldn't control her thoughts. _I saw your face as my very first vision when I woke to this life. After I found the Cullens I saw a vision of meeting you in Philadelphia in the 1950's. You were alone and depressed. I would build you up and together we would secure a place in power with the Volturi. Peter was never supposed to be there._

I had to pause and think for a minute. In the vision she showed me, Jasper looked like death walking. The only way she could have seen Jasper was if Peter wasn't there. The only way Jasper would go with her was if Peter was dead. "She, uh, claims she saw you alone and depressed. She was going to 'save' you and the two of you would go to serve with the Volturi. She didn't see Peter." More growls from everyone.

"Did you use your visions to keep Peter and Edward from finding the family?"

At this her jaw clenched with an effort to keep from saying anything but I was hit with vision after vision of the family's future disappearing and a lie or a staged slip up by Alice, forcing a move. "She staged Emmett's slip ups and lied about Jasper's control. Every time Peter and I got too close she caused the family to move."

Emmett's thoughts were in a swirl, his guilt for all the times he thought he wasn't strong enough to control his bloodlust, all the lectures from the family, and none of it was his fault. Rose and Esme were glaring at Carlisle, completely disgusted with him. Peter couldn't take it anymore and called out, "Major, kill her now or I'll do it for ya." He was probably the only one other than Bella who could speak to Jasper that way and get away with it, but Jasper still shot a glare over his shoulder at his mate.

"Look, Seer, I may have been the first vision you had, but I'm gonna be the last thing you ever see." As he reached to twist off her head, I was hit with a strong sense of déjà vu. His wild, black eyes, fierce teeth- her very first vision was of her final death. With a loud roar and the sound of metal screeching, her head was off and her thoughts were silent. Rose, Esme, and Peter came over to help Emmett and Jasper tear the rest of her into pieces and Bella carried over a lighter to drop on the pile of limbs when everyone moved back.

"Burn in hell, bitch. Nobody messes with my mates."


	22. Chapter 22

**_A/N: More character death in this one, and some fairly graphic violence.  
_****_This chapter is dedicated to my faithful theory-writing reviewers. I hope it shocks the hell out of you ;) _**

_Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story line, SM owns the characters I'm just having fun with them._

**Jasper POV  
**With the pixie bitch finally dead, I took the first full breath I'd had since my mates found me. There was no longer a threat to Bella and we could move on with our lives. I pulled my mates close to me and we just held each other for a few minutes. Bella finally spoke up and said, "Can we go home now? I'm ready to be changed!"

Before I could answer her I heard Rose clearing her throat. "Umm, Jasper, can we talk to you for a minute? I know you probably want to be alone with your mates for a little while, but I was wondering if Emmett and I could come stay with you once you get settled again? I would like the chance to get to know your family."

I glanced between them and then at Peter and Bella who just shrugged and sent me their acceptance. "Sure. I guess that's ok. I'm not sure where we're headed, maybe back to Canada? We need some isolation for Bella's change."

I felt Emmett's determination before he spoke up. "I just want you to know I'm switching diets when we leave here. I'm sick of trying to be something I'm not. Even when I tried my hardest to stick to animals I had that stupid seer working to sabotage me at every turn. I won't live that way anymore. Rose, you know I won't pressure you, I know how you feel about it, and I love you no matter what." She just nodded and kissed him with a smile.

Esme choked on a sob before she steeled herself and turned to look at Carlisle. "That's it. I'm leaving too. I have seen enough here today to know what a true mate is and I know for certain that you are _not_ my mate. Peter and Jasper aren't looking at each other with disgust because their eyes are different colors. Rose and Emmett aren't giving each other an ultimatum of choose my way or leave. Hell, Bella is still practically a child but she looks at her mates with more love than your 300-year-old heart holds for me. I have tried to live up to your precious ideals but I'll be damned if I'm going to let my children walk out of my life and leave me alone with you."

We all watched in shock as she walked over to Edward and fell on her knees in front of him. "Edward, my son, can you ever forgive me? I have missed you so much and I'm so sorry I haven't been there for you. Will you give me a chance to make it up to you? Will you help me hunt humans and learn how to be a real vampire?"

He pulled her straight up and into his arms saying, "Of course, Mom. There is nothing to forgive. I love you and I would be happy to have you with me. It would be nice to have another unmated vampire around. And I have really missed you too."

Carlisle's roar of fury pulled our attention back to him. Pete and I pulled Bella behind us and growled at him in warning. "You Whitlocks are nothing but a poison. You infect everyone you come in contact with, tearing my family apart piece by piece! Why did you destroy us? What did I ever do other than offer you a better way to live? Jasper, I thought you were my son! Why would you disappoint me this way?"

I drew myself up to my full height and looked him straight in the eye. "Carlisle, I have done nothin' but obey you from the minute I joined your family. I have not touched a single drop of human blood since the day we met. I left my mate and ignored my urges to find him again, because you told me not to. I have done every single thing you told me to do and it _still _isn't enough for you! Honestly, I should kill you right now, but I won't do it. On some level I still see you as my father. I thank you for that, and for the time we spent together, but this is where we part ways. If you want your head to stay attached to your body, you better stay away from me and mine. That includes anyone who chooses to live under my protection. I lead this coven and I will not tolerate threats. Make your decision now."

As I finished speaking I felt pride radiating to me from everyone there. My mates stood behind my shoulders in full support and my coven members, both old and new, gathered around me in solidarity. Carlisle looked us over, full of rage and disappointment. He glanced at the pile of Alice's ashes before turning and running off toward their house.

Everyone split up and introduced themselves to the ones they didn't know. Bella was surrounded by Vickie, Rose, and Esme, with Peter keeping a close watch nearby. Emmett and Edward were talking to Laurent and I felt James come up to stand beside me. "Well, Major, looks like you've got yourself a pretty large coven now. Everyone wants to be a Whitlock."

"That include you, Lieutenant?"

"Of course. Can't think of anyone else I would follow. I've always respected you, Major." It meant a lot to me that the one vampire who had known me longer than even Peter could still respect me. James had seen me at my absolute worst, participated in the same vile acts Maria ordered me to do. He had been my second-in-command until Peter moved up, but he seemed to pick up on our relationship before anyone else and he never gave me trouble over his demotion. "You were born to lead, sir. I was forced to lead, and, frankly, I'm tired of it. Even my mates won't challenge me. I think it would be good for them to see me hand over control to someone else."

I completely understood where he was coming from. I had done the same thing when I joined Carlisle. However, I wouldn't let James make the same mistakes I did. I would include him in my decisions, and allow him to choose what would be best for him and his mates.

"Ok, so that's your three, the former Cullens, and Peter tells me Garrett is waiting for us in Canada. That makes, what, eleven now? Think I even have a chance of keeping this from the Volturi?" It was easy to slip back into talking tactics with James.

"Well, if I was you, I'd get Bella changed as soon as you can. She is your best chance at defense." I looked at him questioningly and he continued, "If she can expand her shield like Peter does, the Volturi wouldn't be able to touch you. You know she can block Eddie's gift, she has her whole life. Well, I can't track her either. I'd bet my next meal that none of their offensive gifts will work against her- Jane, Alec; and if I can't find her, then Demetri can't either. Chelsea's bonds probably won't work on her and anyone she covers as well."

I thought over what he said and it made a lot of sense. I knew I had a special mate and I couldn't wait for her to be an immortal like us. "I bet is has to drive Peter nuts that you can't track her. That was one of his pet peeves back in camp. He could shield us from a lot of things but never from you!"

"Yeah, in a way I'm glad he couldn't. If y'all had just run away I would have never been able to leave. You gave me my freedom when you took out Maria, and I was able to find my mates. I will never be able to thank you enough for that, Major. I'm in your debt, whatever you need, I'll be there."

"Thanks James, that means a lot."

"Sure, sir. Can I ask you something?" I nodded when he paused. "I'm a little surprised you killed the seer so quickly. I thought you would have tortured her first. No offense, but you were never big on showing mercy."

I sighed. I knew everyone was curious about that, except maybe Bella. I felt Peter's irritation when I pulled her head off and knew he'd have words for me later. I glanced to see him watching me and decided to answer honestly. "It was Bella. I had every intention of tearing her apart piece by piece, but then I looked back and saw Bella's wide brown eyes watching my every move. I couldn't do it. I couldn't let her see me like that. She deserves a better mate than the man I used to be." Peter frowned at me and shook his head.

"Look, Major, it may not be my place to say anything, but I think she knows pretty well who her mate is, and she doesn't have a problem with it. Peter and I didn't hold back when we told her about you- she wouldn't let us. But everything we told her just made her more in awe of you and more in love with you. The only time she showed disgust or disdain was when you left with the Cullens. She doesn't want a weak mate, she wants the Major." I saw Peter nod and he sent me his agreement.

"Well, that may be true, but hearin' and seein' are two different things, and I didn't want to press my luck. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need some time alone with my mates."

Peter heard me and pulled Bella away from her group and started toward me. I turned to the rest of my coven and said, "Give us an hour, then you can start for the house. Once we get everything gathered up we'll head for home." I heard a few "yes, sirs" and then I pulled Bella into my arms to start the run for home.

We ran at a leisurely pace, joking back and forth between us. Peter said I was hogging our mate and wanted me to toss her to him. I told him she was perfectly comfortable where she was and she agreed by pulling the collar of my shirt down and tracing my scars with her tongue. I was so distracted that we were almost to the house when I caught the smell of a wolf, and I could tell it wasn't Sam.

Before I could say anything to warn Peter, an enormous russet wolf jumped straight for him, taking him to the ground. Bella screamed and I dropped her down, pulling her tight my back. My mind was racing, trying to find a way to defend both my mates, and I was coming up short. I growled at Bella to call Edward and get some backup here, but I knew we didn't have that much time. Peter had large open gashes from the wolf's claws all the way across his abdomen from his right shoulder to his left hip, and he was struggling to hold off the big jaws that were aiming for his neck.

I finally saw an opening to pull the unknown wolf away from both my mates, and I lunged, grabbing him across his belly, and squeezing hard. I glanced back at Peter and saw that Bella had crawled over to him and was trying to hold his wounds closed where he was still leaking venom at an alarming rate. Her cell phone was open beside her and I desperately hoped the others were on their way.

The wolf used my distraction and tried to swipe at me, but I ducked and grabbed his tail as he went past. Time froze when I heard Bella's scream and Peter's roar as I realized my mistake. The wolf's huge front paws brutally raked across the delicate skin of Bella's back, opening deep wounds that were pouring her life's blood out onto the ground. Peter was caught again, this time on his legs, with the same swipe of his paw.

I was immediately crushed by their pain and my demon rattled its cage trying to get out, seeing our mates laid out like that. I knew I had to stay rational in order to help them so I fought back with everything I had and threw myself at the wolf. He seemed to be stunned that he had hurt a human and that gave me my opening. I lunged straight for his neck and ripped his head completely off. His foul-smelling blood poured out all over me as his body constricted back into human form. I tossed the now-useless head away and darted over to my mates.

Peter; my first love, my mate, my Captain. And dear Bella; our soft place to land, our safe haven in a lifetime of violence. What have I done? How could I let this happen? I have completely failed as a mate.

Bella was almost unrecognizable with the cuts and blood pouring off her back. Her breathing was shallow and sounded pained; I think her lung was punctured. Pete was sobbing underneath her; he barely had the strength to lift his head and his hand was loosely tangled in her hair that was spread across his mutilated chest. His black eyes locked on me and he growled, "Bite her. Bite her NOW."

Kneeling down I brushed her hair back from her neck and pressed a kiss to the artery there. I started to bring my mouth down when I thought of something. I pulled Bella's wrist up to Peter and laid it across his mouth. "You bite her too, you know she would want us both to do it." I waited until he bit down and pushed his venom in before I moved back to her neck. "I'm so sorry, Bella. This is not how it was supposed to happen. I love you so much darlin'." I took a deep breath and bit through her delicate skin, tasting human blood for the first time in more than sixty years. I resisted swallowing the blood she needed and, instead, pumped as much venom into her as fast as I could. I sealed her wound and moved on to her other wrist and ankles, before rolling her to her side and biting down over her heart.

I heard her pulse pick up, and began to feel her pain increase, but she was still unconscious and hadn't made a sound. Were we too late? I can't lose her now! I heard Peter growling and turned to look at him. His eyes were pitch black and locked on the shredded skin of her back. "Jasper, you have to get her wounds sealed. She's losing too much blood. I don't think I can do it, it's gonna have to be you."

In my heart, I knew he was right. But I knew if I used my venom she would probably keep the scars through her change. "She won't care about the scars, Jasper, she's our mate. You know that. Get her fixed up so you can help me, please." His voice broke at the end, betraying his pain and weakness.

God, he was right. This was so hard; I never dreamed I would have both my mates hurt this badly and needing my attention at the same time. It was killing me inside to ignore Peter's wounds right now. Bracing myself against her increase in pain, I laid Bella carefully on her stomach and took her shirt off so I could see the damage better. I lowered my head and began carefully sealing the cuts with my venom and Bella finally began to move around. She had her jaw locked to keep from screaming but I needed her to keep still as well. "Bella, darlin', I'm sorry. I know this hurts, but I have to get the bleedin' stopped so you have enough blood to finish the change. I love you so much, sweetheart. Just try to keep still for me and I'll get ya fixed up as quick as I can, ok?" Even in the midst of her pain she sent me her love and acceptance and slowed her movements.

It took me several minutes to get the wounds all sealed and just as I finished I heard Edward yell to me. "Jasper, we're all here but we're staying back. I can see what happened and how much blood there is. Is Bella changing?" _Yes, _I thought to him, _she's patched up for now and we bit her already. She's refusing to scream though. I need to get her cleaned up and inside but I need to tend to Pete as well. _"Would you like for me to send one of the girls to help clean her up and make her comfortable? You can deal with Peter and we can lay them out together so you can watch over them both."

I thought about this for a minute. I knew my instincts wouldn't want me to have anyone near my injured mates, but I thought I could keep myself in check long enough to get them in the house. These are my coven mates, my family, I can trust them. _Y__eah, send Victoria if she thinks she can handle it. Ask Rose too. I trust her and Bella trusts Vickie. They can work together and I'll try my best to let them._

Less than a minute later I heard Rose and Victoria approaching. I told Bella, "Rose and Vickie are gonna come get you and clean you up so you can rest inside, ok? I'll bring Pete in just as soon as I can. We won't be far." She broke my heart when she whimpered and shook her head at me, sending me fear and abandonment. This wasn't gonna work. I turned to Rose and said, "Go find me somethin' to put water in and bring me some clean washcloths and blankets." They shot in the house and were back out almost immediately. Rose spread a blanket out and I lifted Bella and put her on one side and then moved Pete to the other. I put her hand in his and they both relaxed immediately. I nodded to the girls to begin cleaning Bella and I started to work on Peter.

When I got the rest of his clothes off, I realized just how bad he was hurt. The entire front of his body was in ribbons. His wounds weren't healing on their own and he had lost a _lot_ of venom. He was going to need blood, and soon. I sighed and looked at him. "Pete, this is gonna hurt. It's gonna take a lot of venom to get ya put back together." My venom as his mate and sire wouldn't sting as badly as foreign venom, but it would still ache as his skin knitted back together. He gritted his teeth and nodded for me to start. I grabbed a clean cloth and washed the blood and dried venom off his body before I dipped my head to lick his wounds closed. It took much longer and much more venom to get him sealed up than it did for Bella. His face was twisted in pain and his free hand gripped my forearm as tightly as he could.

Once both my mates were cleaned up I knew I needed to get them in the house. It was making me nervous to have them out here so exposed and my instincts were screaming at me to hide them away. I sat for a minute trying to decide which one I could let someone else carry before I gave up and carefully laid Bella down on top of Peter and lifted them both in my arms. Rose opened the door for me and straightened the comforter on the bed before I laid them down. It took everything I had to not attack her when she was this close to my vulnerable mates. I started to climb in after them and she cleared her throat. "Um, Jasper, you might want to rinse off first." I looked down and realized I was still covered in blood and venom, both from my mates and the dead wolf. I nodded my head and laid my mates right next to each other before ordering Rose out of the room and running into the adjoining bathroom to rinse off in the shower at vampire speed.

Just a few seconds later, I was in front of my bed pulling on a pair of soft pajama pants that Rose had laid out for me. I climbed up between my mates and pulled them both close to me, purring softly to them. I ran my hands through their hair, Bella's soft brown curls and Peter's loose blonde waves. Taking a deep breath of their scents I started to cry. "I can't believe I almost lost you both. Peter, I haven't been that scared for you since that newborn battle that tore you up so bad. Bella, baby, this is not how your change was supposed to happen. I wanted us to make love to you and then bite you and make you ours forever. This extra pain is not what you signed up for. You deserve so much better, darlin'. I'm so sorry I didn't protect you both." I saw a tear roll slowly from Bella's closed eyes and I caught it on my finger; it was possibly the last tear she would ever be able to cry. I started to bring it to my mouth, but changed my mind and brought my finger to Peter's lips instead. He opened his eyes and smiled at me when he tasted her.

Our moment was interrupted when Edward walked in the house and called up to me, 'Everything ok so far? Do you need anything?" I thought to him, _Peter needs blood, a lot of it. He lost more venom than I've ever seen a vampire survive. He's too weak to hunt, you'll have to bring some in for him. _

"Ok, there's something else I need to tell you. Sam showed up here just after you went in the house. He said the wolf you killed was Jacob Black. He was the true alpha and he just phased this morning. He saw thoughts of you and the rest of us in Sam's mind and decided to wipe us all out. He was able to disregard Sam's order and he turned around and ordered the other wolves to stay on the reservation when they didn't want to help him. Sam was only able to leave when you killed Jacob. He saw the whole fight through Jacob's eyes and was devastated for you. He came to check on Peter and Bella and said the wolves won't retaliate because he broke their highest law, he attacked a human. We still set up a perimeter around the house and we'll need to travel as soon as Bella is able."

_Ok, tell Sam I'll deal with him later. I understand why he couldn't help us. Tell him I don't blame him for this. Now go find Peter something to drink. I'm really nervous about how weak he is. _Edward yelled back that he would hurry.

I ran my hand over Pete's head again, worried when I saw his eyes were still closed. Vampires don't sleep. "I'm ok," he whispered hoarsely, "Just real tired. And thirsty. How's Bella? Why ain't she screamin'?"

I chuckled softly and glanced at her. Her faced was clenched with pain and I could still feel it, though it seemed muted somehow. "I think she's bein' a stubborn ass and refusin' to scream."

He smiled, though his eyes remained closed. "Stubborn, huh? Sounds like she takes after you, Major."

I had to laugh again. "Hey, I'm not the one who raised her! And I didn't hear much sound outta you when I was gluin' ya back together out there!"

"Well, I couldn't have my baby girl makin' me look weak. We are the Major's mates, ya know." his breathing sounded strained and his voice was so quiet I doubt Bella could hear him. I smoothed his hair back some more and started purring to soothe him.

"Shh, don't try to talk anymore, Peter. Edward is getting you some blood; just rest until he gets back. I've got you and Bella and I'm not leaving you for a second. Just let me take care of you, ok?" I sent them both some calming waves, but I don't think it did much to help Bella. Peter seemed to relax a bit more and I settled back and pulled them closer to me.

It was close to an hour later when Edward came back and called up asking me if he could come in the room. I pushed back my instincts and called him in, knowing just how badly Peter needed this blood. He sounded strange coming up the stairs and my curiosity was piqued when he finally opened the door.

"Hey Jasper, I brought some bags from the blood bank, but they were really low so I thought I should bring some straight from the source." He brought humans here? "Anyway, I went down to the docks because I thought a boating accident would be easy to stage, as long as there were no bite marks to raise the wolves' suspicions. I hope you're not mad but I found the perfect meals for Peter just putting their boat up."

He walked back to the door after tossing me the bags and pulled two men into the room, dragging them by the back of their necks. They were unconscious but one looked vaguely familiar to me, although I was sure I had never seen him before. The other I knew right away was Billy Black. We had met with him and the other elders shortly after we met Sam. He was very vocal in his protest of the treaty and our staying here. Then I realized that he must be the father of Jacob Black. Very fitting. If he wasn't here to raise a fuss over his son's death, it would ease the pressure on us. Kind of a reverse of the saying, "The sins of the father." This time it was the sins of the son that would seal his father's fate.

"I know that one is Billy Black but who's the other one?" Edward got an evil grin on his face and looked me straight in the eye.

"It's Charlie Swan."


	23. Chapter 23

**_AN: There's another mini lemon at the end of this one. Still not too graphic. But I posted a one-shot that's nice and dirty called Danger Zone. It has nothing to do with this story, just came out of my dark side when Peter wasn't cooperating. ;). I also posted the first chapter of a James/Bella story. It won't update quite as fast as this one. Go check them out and let me know what you think!  
_**

**_Oh- and I'm sorry for the problems with chapter 22- fanfiction wasn't cooperating when I posted it, I think it finally showed up Sunday maybe. So go back and read it if you skipped over it._**

* * *

_Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story line, SM owns the characters I'm just having fun with them._

**Jasper** **POV**  
I sat there stunned for a minute, staring at my mate's father. No wonder he looked familiar- he shared the same curly brown hair, the shape of his eyes, and the same lips under a very unflattering moustache. I finally shook myself and reached for the bags of blood in my lap. "Peter, here, start with these, it won't taste as good but it'll be easier to get down." I held the first blood bag up to his mouth and he couldn't even bite down. I leaned him back against the pillow and used my teeth to nip the corner of the bag. Tilting his head back, I opened his mouth and started pouring the blood in slowly. I watched as he began to swallow and finally put his lips around the bag to drink. We repeated this for each of the bags and by the fourth one he was able to hold it himself.

"Feeling better, Pete?" Edward asked from the doorway. "I brought you a present." he continued in a sing-song voice.

"What do I smell?" Peter asked.

"Lunch." I laughed. "Or your father-in-law, whichever way you want to look at it." Edward growled when I said that; that man was nothing in relation to Bella.

I helped Peter sit up straighter on the bed so he could see over the end. Charlie was just starting to wake up when Edward got right in his face and said, "Boo!" We all laughed when he squealed like a girl and tried to move away from Edward.

"Bring him here," Pete ordered in a stronger voice than he was capable of a short time ago. "He needs to see us up close and personal."

Edward complied and pulled him up by the back of his neck, holding him next to the bed. I picked up on bloodlust from Peter, but his simmering rage was overshadowing it. "Let me introduce myself, Mr. Swan. I'm Peter Whitlock, your _daughter's_ mate." Pete paused to let him think and I felt the disbelief, fear, and shock from Charlie before he shot his eyes over the bed to where Bella was laying. "NO! You don't get to look at her. You lost that right sixteen years ago when you had her funeral. Can you believe she actually cried over that? You beat up on a tiny newborn baby and that same girl still grieves when she finds out you never even looked for her when she disappeared. Shows how big her heart is, don't it?"

"We, we didn't know. I mean, Renee didn't want a baby and we knew somebody took her but we just thought she would be better off! I couldn't risk a big investigation, I was just getting started on the force. The coroner was my high school buddy and he signed the papers for me and we had a closed casket ceremony. Nobody had to get hurt and we all had closure! It was better this way!" he was shaking now that he saw Peter's black eyes and Edward's red ones. He actually looked to me like I might save him from what was coming. Stupid man.

"Better?! Closure?! For who? For you? Of course. What about for my baby girl who I raised the past sixteen years and love with all my heart? Where is her closure? I'm gonna give it to her right now. You signed your death certificate the day you laid your hands on my mate. I should have taken it when I took her but I'm here to collect now. Jas?" I leaned over and brought his neck to Peter's mouth and used my fingernail to slice a small cut behind his ear so Peter could drink. I watched with pleasure as the life drained from his eyes that looked entirely too much like Bella's.

"Thank you Edward. That was by far the best meal I've ever had. What else did you bring me?"

"Oh, just some more tasty revenge. Since Jasper already killed the mutt who attacked you and Bella, I brought you his father. Happens to be the chief of the tribe, so it's a 2-for-1 special on chiefs today." Edward was enjoying himself way too much.

"Bring him here. Still don't think I can lift him yet. Major, you'll help me?" I could feel Pete's frustration and knew this could be a long convalescence. Hopefully Bella's change would keep his mind off himself.

"What else would I do?" He drained Billy faster and with less fanfare than before, but I could tell he still had a long road of healing ahead of him.

"Ok, well, I'm off. I have to take these two lovely gentleman on a fishing trip. Might have boat troubles. See ya later!" Seriously, that boy ain't right. Way too much fun. He turned and flipped me off when he heard my thoughts. "I'll tell everyone to stay back unless you call them, ok? I'm gonna run up to P.A. to find some more take-out for Peter. I'll try to hurry back."

"Thanks Eddie, I'll just wait here." I was glad to see Peter's humor start to return. He was still too lethargic for my comfort but I could tell he was slowly improving.

"Hey, Jasper, can you move Bella over here by me? I need to be close to her." I was afraid he was gonna ask me that. I understood, but I needed to be close to both of them. Reluctantly, I reached over to lift Bella to the middle of the bed between us. She still refused to make a sound but her face was twisted in pain. I smoothed her hair back and Pete reached over to lay his hand on her cheek. She leaned into his touch and seemed to relax a bit when he started talking to her.

"Hey little one, I know you're hurtin' pretty bad right now but Jasper and I are right here with you. We're not gonna leave you and we'll be here when you wake up, ok? I want you to do somethin' for me, I want you to think about every memory you have and I'm gonna tell you my favorite ones too. That way you can hang onto them and not lose them to the burn.

"Let's see, your name is Isabella Whitlock, but we call you Bella, because you are so beautiful. Jasper and I are your mates and we love you with everythin' we have. You have lived with me, Peter, since you were four days old and barely fit in the palm of my hand. I loved you from the moment I laid eyes on you and I think you kinda liked me too. You weren't happy unless I was holdin' ya- Eddie thought it was the funniest thing in the world to see a tiny human baby leading a vampire around by the nose. He-" He broke off here and looked around for a minute. "Hey, Jasper- go look in that bag by the dresser. Pull out the photo albums and you can look at them while I talk. You can see Bella growing up."

I had to choke back tears again when I picked up the first book and saw Peter holding a tiny newborn Bella asleep on his chest. His eyes were closed and he looked completely at peace. If I didn't know better I would have said he was sleeping as well. I fought back a pang of jealousy at all the years I missed with them but Peter caught it and said, "Jasper, I missed you every single moment we were apart. I talked about you to Bella so that she felt like she knew you. She had a whole file on you where she wrote down all the stories that James and I told her, and she found every single mention of you in every Civil War book she ran across. We were not complete until we found you. We love you."

I nodded and continued flipping through the book. "Tell me about this one." I asked him, showing him a picture of Bella as a toddler sitting on Peter's lap eating pancakes shaped like Mickey Mouse.

"That was her second birthday. I made her breakfast and then we took her to the neighborhood park to play. That was the first day she staked her claim as my mate and drove off a woman who was interested in me." He got a faraway look in his eyes and soft smile on his face. "Eddie was helpin' her up and down the slide and every time she went down she would call me to watch her. This single mom came over and sat by me, tryin' to flirt, and all of a sudden I had a tiny tornado jump in my arms and glare at her sayin', 'That's _my_ Pete.' Eddie ended up going home with the woman but it was funny as hell to me. She doesn't like to share her mates."

I thought back to the first day in the cafeteria when Bella was still unsure of me, but she still wanted to let everyone know I was off limits. She could definitely give me a run for my money in the possessive department. I squeezed her hand and leaned over to kiss her forehead. "I love you, Bella. You don't have to worry about sharin' us with anyone but each other. No one could compare to you and Peter in my eyes. You're all I will ever need."

The next two days passed with Peter telling me everything he could think of from Bella's life and looking at pictures of the two of them. The pictures of Bella's bruising the day Pete found her made my venom boil and I wished Charlie's death had been a little more brutal. Edward brought in one more human and after a day of rest, Peter was moving around a little easier.

We sat and watched our mate finish the change. The changes in her appearance were minimal. Her skin lightened and hardened, and I was glad to see most of her scars faded. They were still there, but not as noticeable as mine or Pete's. Her hair lengthened slightly and had blonde and red strands woven through the mahogany. She was going to be disappointed that her height didn't change, she had told Peter she was counting on gaining a few inches so he would stop calling her "little one." Her hips widened slightly and her breasts filled out so she took on a more womanly appearance. In short, she was an absolute goddess. I was concerned by the end of the second day, when I could no longer feel her emotions, but we decided it must have been her shield strengthening and she would have to figure out how to let me back in.

It was midmorning of the third day when we heard her heart start racing and knew the end was near. Pete and I stood up at the end of the bed to give her space when she woke. She finally let out a loud scream just as her heart thumped its last few beats, then all was silent. None of us breathed, waiting for Bella to move. Her eyes opened slowly and she sat up staring at us. For the second time in my life I found myself lost in the crimson eyes of my newborn mate.

**Peter POV  
**She was positively stunning. I never doubted she would be, but it did surprise me how very little her appearance actually changed. Her eyes were red, but they were looking at me from the same familiar face I loved.

"Baby girl? You ok?" I was getting nervous, did she still know who we were?

"Peter? Jasper? Wow. I... just... wow. I mean, I thought y'all were gorgeous before, but I just couldn't see!" I get it now, she can see our scars better now. I dropped my head down in shame and noticed Jasper did the same. We didn't even see her when she flew off the bed at us. "You look like angels! My tall, sexy, cowboy angels!" I looked up and she had her legs wrapped around Jasper's waist and his head pulled down for a fierce kiss.

She jumped down and turned to me. "Oh, Peter! Are you ok?" She pulled my shirt up and ran her hands gently over the heavy scars. "Please tell me that fucking wolf is dead. You scared the hell out of me Peter! Don't ever do that to me again!" Then she jumped into my arms to kiss me and I lost all thought as I held her as tightly as I could. No holding back or being careful of her fragile human body anymore. _This _was heaven. I thought when we found Jasper that I was whole again. But having her now as indestructible as we were, a true equal in our world; _that_ made us complete. When her hand dipped down in the waistband of my jeans I knew I had to put the brakes on fast.

"Bella, baby girl, we will _definitely_ be doing that later, but right now we all need to hunt, and everyone else is waiting to see how we survived the werewolf attack. Jasper wouldn't let anyone in the house except when Edward brought blood in for me." And my special walking blood bags. I knew we would have to tell her about her father but this was definitely not the time for it.

"Oh, yeah. Hey- who bit me? Was it you, Jasper?"

"Actually, we both did it. I told Jasper to bite you as soon as he finished off the wolf, but he helped me bite your wrist as well. You have both our venom in you." Her eyes filled up with tears she would never shed when I said this. I was so glad Jasper let me bite her. I loved all of us being linked by venom.

"Darlin'? Did ya wanna see what you look like now? You didn't really change that much, other than your eyes." He turned her around to face the mirror on the closet door. We stood behind her, side by side, and I loved the picture we all made together. Bella's eyes roamed over her reflection and then she glanced back at the two of us and back in the mirror with a frown.

"Damn it! I got screwed. I didn't even grow an inch. I'm fucking short for eternity." I glanced at Jasper and we both started laughing. She turned to walk away grumbling under her breath. "Damn fine ass tall cowboys." At the door she stopped and looked back at us. "Well, are you coming? Thought we had things to do, people to eat?" We followed her down the stairs, still chuckling.

"Darlin', you might get overwhelmed when you see everybody, just let me know and I'll tell them to back off. You'll have to talk to me, I can't feel your emotions right now."

"What? Why can't you feel me?" she asked.

"We think it might be your shield. You got harder to read the further you went in the change. Once we feed, Peter can start workin' with ya on how to control it. If you can let me in, I'll be able to sense you again. Eddie wants us to see if you can shield our thoughts from him too." I really hoped I could help Bella with her shield. It might not work anything like mine, though.

"You ready, Sugar? You can stay right here between us and we'll hold onto you. Let us know if it gets to be too much." She nodded and wrapped her hands around our elbows while Jasper opened the door and walked out first. Our coven was spread out in the front yard, grouped in mated pairs (or threes) and Edward was standing nearest the door.

"Hey Bella! You look beautiful, Princess! Can your brother get a hug?" She looked to me and Jasper for permission and when we nodded she shot off the porch, straight into his arms. "I'm so happy you're changed and well now. I was scared to death when I saw you and Peter through Jasper's thoughts. I'm sorry we weren't there in time to help."

"Eddie, it's ok. We're fine now and everything turned out in the end." She turned to look back at us again. "Guys, I'm really thirsty I think. Can we talk to everybody else when we get back?"

Damn, I felt like an asshole. Of course she's thirsty. She's a fucking newborn. Jasper and I went to her and took her hands. "Come on darlin'. You can run with us now. We have to go a little slow for Peter, he's not quite up to par yet. Just stay with us and if I tell you to hold your breath, do it, ok?" She smiled brilliantly and nodded and we all took off running toward Port Angeles.

We stopped outside of town and Jasper told Bella to hold her breath. We slipped into the warehouse district and started listening for our prey. "Ok, darlin', until you're in better control we'll bring your meals to ya. Now, can you hear what's in the warehouse behind me?" She closed her eyes and nodded.

"There are five people in there. Can you hear the paper and plastic rustlin' around?" another nod. "They're packagin' up some drugs. If you were breathin' you would smell the chemicals almost as strongly as the blood. This warehouse is condemned and it will be easy to cover our tracks with a fire. It's a good place to hunt." I looked at Jasper double-checked, "You huntin' with us?" His eyes darkened immediately, I wasn't sure if it was hunger or lust, and he gave me a slow smile.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Walking into the warehouse, Jasper pulled three of the men away from the other two and knocked them out with his gift. I grabbed one of the other two and slowly brought it to Bella. "Ok, little one. When I tell you to, take a small breath and then let your instincts take over. Try to bite carefully, it will take you some time to learn your strength, but you don't want to waste the blood. When you finish the first one, this other one will be right here. We'll see if you need more after that." The men were both staring at Bella, entranced by her beauty. They had no idea what was coming.

"Ok, Bella. Now!" I let go and took a step back as she drew in a slow breath and her eyes turned black. Her feral snarl went straight between my legs and I was rock hard when she latched on his neck to drink. I was shocked at how clean her kill was. Barely any blood made it past her lips and when she dropped the first one, she pounced right on the second. This one she drank more slowly and she finished with a contented smile, reaching up to lick the blood off her fingertips.

"All done. How did I do?" She looked up with her same innocent face, eyes brighter than before.

I glanced at Jasper and saw he was just as stunned as I was. He recovered first and answered her. "Darlin', you were perfect. I have never seen a newborn as controlled as you, not even Peter. How did you know what to do?" I wished he hadn't asked that because I had an idea that I knew the answer and I wasn't sure how Jasper would feel about it.

She ducked her head before looking up at me with a little guilt. "Um, I might have not listened to Peter when he told me to stay back when he was hunting. He put me on the roof and I might have leaned over to watch a few times..." I swear if she could still blush she would be bright red. "I'm sorry, I know you told me not to but I was curious! It was the one thing you refused to teach me!" By the end her newborn emotions were kicking in and she balled her fists up in anger.

I quickly pulled her to me and tried to calm her. "Shh, Sugar, I'm not mad. I knew you were too curious for your own good but I was too scared to leave you alone after the attack. I was afraid if I let you see me hunt you would think I was a monster. I should have known better. I'm proud of you, you did good today!"

When she nodded against my chest I pulled back. "Ok, now you want to watch me and the Major? He's a bit out of practice so we'll see if he does as well as you." She laughed when I shot her a wink and Jasper growled.

I walked over where he was holding our meals and reached for the one he handed me. "You can take two, you're still building your strength back, ok?" I just nodded and bit down, watching his every move out of the corner of my eye. It had been too long since I hunted with my mate. I was always uncomfortable hunting near Edward and we usually had to get out of each other's line of sight to eat. Jasper kept his eyes locked on mine and smiled as he drained his victim.

I reached for the second guy and thought back to the last meal I shared with Jasper. I raised my eyebrow at him and reached my hand out to him. "Share with me?" I held his eyes as he latched on and I followed on the other side. When the body fell between us he pulled me close and crashed his mouth to mine. I kissed him hard before pulling away and dropping to my knees. I looked up in his now-crimson eyes and smirked. "You did say somethin' about finishin' this later, didn't ya? Is it later yet?" I didn't give him a chance to answer before opening his jeans and pulling him into my mouth.

I heard a growl and looked up to see Bella lean over me to pull Jasper's lips to hers. My desire shot through the roof and Jasper looked down at me before pulling her away and lifting me to my feet. "Pete, you feelin' better yet? Think you can take us both?" I shivered at his words and pulled Bella up to wrap her legs around my waist. In less than a second, our clothes were shredded and I was buried deep inside her. Jasper came up behind me and scraped his teeth on my neck as he used his fingers to prep me. He slid home and I basked in the feel of my mates surrounding me.

As we moved together, I lost all track of time, carried away by the waves of love and pleasure Jasper fed me. When I felt Bella clench around me, Jasper gasped in shock. "Oh God! I can feel you, Bella!" Apparently that was all it took and he sent the two of us over the edge. We collapsed on the dirty concrete in a tangle of limbs and Bella started to laugh.

"Is this what hunting with your mates is like? Can we go every day?"


	24. Chapter 24

**_AN: The reviews have dropped off a bit- is everybody still hanging in with me? There's actually not a lot left, maybe 3 or 4 chapters. Let me know what you think so far!_**

**_Oh- I am also posting the first outtake from this story. I have several more I will add later, but if there is something specific you want to read about, let me know and I'll work it in!_**

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_Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story line, SM owns the characters I'm just having fun with them._

**Bella POV  
**We played around more as we ran back to the house. The boys encouraged me to test my speed, agility, strength; I loved jumping as high as I could into the trees and jumping back down on my mates when they weren't watching me. So far, being a vampire was every bit as good as I had imagined. The thirst wasn't too bad, except when I first woke up. Now it was manageable, but I knew I would need to feed more often than my boys did, at least in the beginning.

My boys. That was another revelation. I may as well have been blind for the past sixteen years! They were the perfect combination of beauty and danger. I knew their scars would scare other vampires, but they made me feel safe. I had two of the strongest vampires in the world as my mates and protectors. What more could I ask for?

As I thought about how and why I became a vampire, I couldn't find much to be upset about. Yes, getting mauled by a werewolf after watching the same werewolf tear your mate to shreds was not ideal; but I know Peter, and I know he would have stalled my change as long as he possibly could. Jasper thought the threat to our coven was gone with Alice's death, but I didn't think we had seen the last of Carlisle yet. If danger came to us, this time I would be ready to stand alongside my mates and defend our family. I couldn't wait to show Jasper all of the fight training I'd had with Peter, and I couldn't wait to put those moves to use in my new, stronger body.

I had apparently retained most, if not all, of my human memories. Jasper and Peter were shocked when I told them, and Peter had even started quizzing me on random events to see what I remembered. Jasper thought it might have something to do with my shield- that my mind had been protected during the change. I thought it had more to do with preparation. I had known exactly what was coming; I even knew what venom felt like running through my veins, and I knew I needed to focus and not get lost in the fires of the change. Peter's voice was a lighthouse, a beacon of light in my suffering, and every word he spoke triggered another round of memories for me to hold onto.

I think Jasper felt closer to me now, either through the memories he learned while I was changing or the fact that it was mostly his venom in my veins. Either way, I was happy. I was glad I had figured out how to let him under my shield, now we were waiting to see if they were blocked from Edward as well. That gave me an idea.

I jumped out of my tree and landed on Peter's shoulders, balancing carefully on my feet like an acrobat. Jasper threw his head back and laughed at the picture we made but Peter just lifted my feet and tossed me up a bit, before catching me in his arms. "What was that for, little one?"

"You're never gonna give that up are you?" He just smiled and leaned down to kiss my nose. "Ok, anyway, I had an idea. I wanna see if we can sneak up on everybody. Peter, tighten your shield and if I've got y'all covered, they shouldn't be able to sense us at all. What do you think?" Peter looked over at Jasper, who had a look of concentration.

"It's worth a shot! Can you tell if you have us both covered, Bella?"

"I don't know. I guess you are since you can feel my emotions again. I don't know about Peter. How would I know?"

Peter looked at me and said, "Well, my shield kinda feels like a second skin. I can feel when it's stretched over y'all but it doesn't take any effort, it seems to do it on its own. When I shield others, it takes concentration and it feels like I'm strainin' to cover them. I would guess your shield would fit closer, more inside your head. So I'm not sure how that would translate to shieldin' us. Can you feel anything like that?"

I thought for a minute and then closed my eyes. I tried to feel for anything that was connecting me to Jasper, aside from our bond. I couldn't find anything to grab hold of. "Try to visualize it. Like a shower cap or somethin'" Peter offered. I tried that and still couldn't feel anything I could work with. Jasper could feel my frustration growing and sent me some calm. As he did I realized his emotions seemed more channeled than usual. There was a direct line from his mind to mine. I got an idea and hopped down out of Peter's arms.

"Grab my hands, and each others. Make a circle." They looked at me curiously but did as I asked. I closed my eyes to concentrate. "Ok, Jasper, send Peter an emotion, just Peter. I'm gonna see if I can feel the shield around him." Jasper did as I asked and I could feel the connection between them as well. "Ok, I think I have him covered. What did you send him?" I opened my eyes to see Jasper looking amused and Peter with black eyes staring him down.

"Oh, just some lust." Jasper winked at me, before Peter growled and attacked him.

"Uh, Pete, go easy on him. There aren't any dead drug dealers laying around to get more clothes from." I teased him. Jasper must have dialed back the lust because Peter stood up and held his hand down to help our mate up. "So, are we ready?"

"Yeah, I've got us locked down. Let's go." We ran back to the house, and stuck to the woods until we came up behind the majority of the group in the backyard. I looked around and then bent down to pick up a pinecone laying on the ground. I aimed and tossed it directly at Eddie's head, and then fell over laughing at his look of shock when he spotted us.

"You did it, Princess! I knew you could! I can't hear a thing from any of you! How did you figure out how to shield them?" He was bouncing up and down, holding my hands, and looking remarkably like an excited child. I wanted to blush as I thought back to the moment Jasper could feel my emotions again. He must have seen something on my face because he said, "Why do I get the feeling I'm really glad their thoughts are shielded?"

"Don't worry, Eddie, it's nothin' you haven't seen before. Well, we were standin' up this time, and Jasper and I swapped places, but-"

"NO! NO MORE! La la la la la! I can't hear you!" By now everyone was laughing at Edward dance around with his hands over his ears. Like that would help with his vampire hearing. I think I have the dorkiest brother on earth.

"Ok, ok. While I love everyone jokin' around, we're kinda under the gun here. We need to get movin'. Is everyone all packed up?" Damn, my major is sexy when he gets all authoritative and stuff. Yum. He shot me a wink when he felt my lust and Peter wrapped his arm around me and squeezed to let me know he agreed.

"Yes, we have everything from the Cullen house loaded and we brought Jasper's truck over to put the rest of your stuff in. Edward and Victoria packed for you while you were hunting and we left Bella's Mustang open for the three of you to take." Rose answered, and then turned to me. "Bella, you look stunning! I'm so glad you are ok. I was absolutely sick when I saw what that filthy mutt did to you. Jasper did a good job fixing you up though, you have very special mates."

I nodded to her and pulled her in for a hug. "I know I do. They're the best. Thank you for your help too, and for taking care of Jasper all these years. I doubt he would have let anyone else near his mates, so he must really trust you. I hope you and I can be sisters as well." Her smile was blinding as she squeezed me tight and nodded.

Esme came up to us then. "Um, Bella, I know we haven't spoken much, but I would love to be your sister as well, if you'll give me a chance." I glanced at Jasper and he nodded, we had spoken about Esme on the way back.

"Well, Esme, I don't think that will work for me." She looked down and nodded sadly. "See, I already have a couple of sisters. But I've never had a mom. Jasper tells me you're a pretty good one, maybe you can take the job?" She looked shocked before she jumped and pulled me into her arms. I was surprised at how comforting it felt. Maybe this really was something I needed. Her scent had changed slightly since she had hunted with Edward, and it struck me as oddly familiar somehow. I sifted through my human memories but couldn't quite figure out what it was. She pulled back and kissed my cheek before glancing over at Peter.

"Sorry, sweetheart. I done raised up two of your kids, I ain't gonna be callin' you Ma anytime soon. You'll have to make do with my mates and my brother, here." We all laughed and Esme just shook her head.

"It's ok, Peter. You're too old to be my son anyway," she replied with a saucy wink, before her mood became more serious. "I wanted to give you something. I checked the safe in Jasper's room when we were clearing out the house and I found something that I believe belongs to you. Edward told me what it means to you so I took it and had it cleaned and the latch repaired. I put a photo inside as well. I think everyone here will agree with me when I say that you have earned this. You've earned it a thousand times over. You have cared for your family, and your mates, in a way most would not be strong enough for. We all see you as a leader and we will gladly follow you and Jasper anywhere."

Peter was frozen as she reached in her pocket and pulled out an old pocket watch. He took it reverently in his hands and looked between me and Edward, who nodded at him, smiling. He glanced back at Jasper and pulled him close as he opened the watch. I looked over and saw a picture of the three of us. Edward had snapped the picture before we left for school together, and it was the only picture I had with both Peter and Jasper while I was human. It truly was a priceless gift.

Peter looked at Esme with tears in his eyes and his voice was rough when he finally managed to choke out a thank you. He pulled Jasper and me close to him and began sobbing in our arms. We soothed him and rocked him until he could compose himself again. He finally straightened up with an arm around each of us and said, "Ok, well, that's enough of that for today! I think we better move out. We're pushin' our luck with the wolf pack here and I'm ready to get my mates back home." He looked at Jasper, who nodded and added his two cents.

"Yeah, let's load up and get outta here. Is everybody drivin' or what?"

Edward spoke up then, "Rose and Emmett are driving their cars, Esme is riding with me in Jasper's truck, and I think James and his group are runnin' back to get the house ready and warn Garrett. I figure it will take you three the longest to get there since you'll have to stick with back roads for Bella. We'll try to have everything ready for you when you get there. I assume the three of you will be in Bella's room, since it's the biggest? We'll have to do some rearranging to fit everyone in."

"Yeah, sounds good. Y'all can work it out between you when ya get there. We may make a couple stops along the way." Jasper winked at us when he said that. Stops sound good. May take us a month or two to get home...

"Just don't stop too much. We'll need you there soon. Oh, and you might want to call Sam before you leave. He really wanted to meet Peter and Bella but I told him they may not want to do that. I wouldn't let him come here though- meet somewhere neutral. He doesn't need to pick up on the human scents here." Edward added.

I glanced at Peter; I wondered what he was thinking. I was torn. On one hand, I wanted to meet the man who had been such a good friend to my mate. On the other hand, he was a wolf; brother to the wolf who attacked us and ended my human life. He had seen the attack through that wolf's eyes and hadn't been able to stop it. I knew he probably felt some responsibility for what happened and he wanted to apologize in person. I also didn't know how he would feel about Jasper's new red eyes. His instincts would probably push him to attack, like that other wolf had attacked Peter. I finally decided it wasn't my place to decide. It was up to Jasper, and Peter, if he wanted to give his opinion. I would do what they wanted.

Peter was staring hard at Jasper, who wouldn't look at either of us. Finally he sighed and said, "Look, Jasper, I can feel your guilt. It's not necessary. If you want to see your friend, go see your friend. If you want us to meet him, then we'll meet him. I don't hold him responsible for our attack, and I doubt Bella does either." They both glanced at me and I shook my head no. "It's up to you, just let us know what you're thinkin' please."

Jasper brought his hands up to cover his face before groaning and turning to face us. "I'm thinkin' I'm the world's biggest hypocrite. Sam told me one time that I was his friend whether he had skin or fur, and he would be my friend no matter what color eyes I have. Well, I'm sure Edward told him I hunted with y'all, but he still wants to see me. And I'm the one that can't get over the fact that a member of his pack attacked my mates. That wolf didn't look anything like Sam, but I can't get past the fact that Sam is still a wolf. Hell, I killed one of his brothers but he's still the one seeking out my friendship. I'm a shitty friend."

"Jasper, listen. You can't judge yourself like that. You have absolutely no idea what Sam would be doing if the situation was reversed. If Peter had attacked one of Sam's wolves without provocation, do you think he would still be this open to you? I doubt it. But the thing is, I think he knows that. He knows that this is harder for you. He knows how personal this attack was- hell, he watched the whole thing! He's reaching out to you because he knows that you can't reach out to him. Whether you meet him halfway is still up to you. Nobody is telling you what to do, he was your friend- the decision is in your hands whether or not you will continue that friendship." By the end of my speech both my boys were staring at me, Jasper in wonder and Peter with pride.

"Darlin', I don't know how you got so smart but you're definitely the brains of this operation. I'm not sure how we made it so long without you. We would have saved a lot of trouble if we'd had you with us from the beginnin'." He pulled me in for a hug and then straightened up to say, "Ok, I'm gonna call him. Now, are y'all gonna be ok meetin' him? He smells like a wolf, but it should be easier for you since he'll be in human form. Bella, you'll have to keep a tight grip on your instincts. Keep close to Peter and I'll keep an eye on your emotions too. Ok?" We both nodded and he pulled out his phone.

_Hello?_

"Hey Sam."

_Jasper! I'm so glad you called me! Are your mates ok now? Is Bella awake? God, Jasper, I'm so sorry! I feel like the world's shittiest friend. I mean, I'm a protector, and I couldn't protect my best friend's mates!_

"Sam, it's ok. Well, it's not ok, but I'm gettin' there. Peter is still not back 100%, but he's a lot better than he was. There must be something toxic on your claws or somethin', I've seen Pete with some bad wounds before and he always bounced right back. His scars ain't healing as well this time and his venom ain't replacin' itself as fast. I'm hopin' once we get him home Bella and I can get him fixed up good again."

_I'm so sorry. I had no idea. And Bella? How is she?_

"She's perfect. She didn't make a sound durin' her change, and her scars mostly went away, at least they aren't as bad as Peter's. It obviously wasn't our ideal circumstances for changin' her, but she's taken to it like a pro. We're all glad to have her more durable now."

_Yeah, I bet. No details please_ Sam laughed. _So, can I meet them, or do they hate me?_

"No, they don't. Bella actually talked me into callin' ya. You wanna meet in the woods behind the Cullen place- like we used to?"

_Sure. Sounds good. Twenty minutes?_

"We'll be there."

* * *

We arrived at a spot in the woods that smelled faintly of Jasper and wet dog. I didn't smell the wolf before the attack, or didn't notice with my human senses anyway. Now I couldn't stop my nose from wrinkling, which the boys found adorable.

"Sugar, he might get offended if ya keep turnin' your nose up when he gets here." Peter teased me. Just then the wet dog smell got stronger and both my boys stiffened. Jasper pulled me behind him and Peter came up right behind me so I was sandwiched between them. Not a bad place to be, but I knew they were both doing it for my protection.

"Uh, guys? You do realize I'm the strongest one here don't you?" I laughed when they looked at each other over my head, apparently this hadn't occurred to them. Jasper shook his head and looked back at me.

"Doesn't matter, darlin'. Pete has always been stronger than me but he let me protect him without complainin' about it. You wanted me to find my balls, well you pointed them out to me rather nicely. Now be a good girl and let your mates keep ya safe, ok?" Damn, I couldn't even be mad when I knew he could feel my lust. I was cut off from answering by a rough voice laughing in front of us.

A tall copper-skinned man with short, spiky black hair stepped into view wearing nothing but some cut-off jean shorts. I know Jasper told me he was 18 but he easily looked 25 or more. He wasn't bad to look at but the smell was horrendous! I know my nose was wrinkled again but I just couldn't help it.

"Am I interrupting anything, Jasper?" he laughed.

"No, Sam. Just bein' a bit overprotective, accordin' to my little mate." He called me little just to piss me off, I know it. "Can I introduce ya?"

"Sure."

Jasper stepped to the side and wrapped his arm around my shoulder but Peter was still glued to my back. I felt him tense up as Jasper moved away, exposing me, and I reached back to lay my hand on his thigh and squeeze to encourage him. Glancing back, I saw his face in a hard mask and he had stopped breathing. Jasper finally noticed and he whispered, "Pete" and must have sent him something to calm him because he finally took a deep breath and closed his eyes briefly before stepping forward to my other side with his arm tight around my waist.

"I'm sorry. This is harder than I thought it would be. Your smell, it's what I smelled when... when my Bella.." He stopped and cleared his throat, not meeting any of our eyes. "I'm sorry. Sam, I'm Peter. Nice to meet ya. I'm glad you've been here for my mate, he said you've been a good friend." He finally looked at Sam by the end of his speech but his face was still more stern than I had ever seen it. It was obvious, he wasn't ok with this.

Jasper was looking at him sadly, not seeming to know what to say. So I smiled at Sam and said, "Hi! I'm Bella. It's very nice to meet you. As Pete said, I'm glad you were here for Jasper when he really needed a friend. Thank you for that." I smiled at him and he looked a little less stunned than he had after Peter spoke. Jasper patted my shoulder and sent me his pride, while Peter pulled me closer to his side and wrapped his other arm around to grasp my hand.

Sam took a step back and bowed his head slightly, trying to look as submissive as possible. "Peter, I just want you to know how deeply sorry I am for this whole thing. I don't know how much Jasper has told you, but I was physically unable to move beyond our borders. He was alpha by blood, I was just holding the position by default because I phased first. My body could not physically disobey him. I was in his head screaming at him the entire time. I told him if he even looked like he would attack that Jasper would kill him. Nothing I said would stop him. When he hit you, I was on the ground screaming. When he.. when he got... Bella, I was sick. I literally vomited all over the forest floor.

"I don't expect you to understand or forgive me, I just needed to ask. I need you to know just how much I respect your mate, and I hate that these are the circumstances we had to meet under. Jasper, I'm going to miss you. I hope you have a long life with your mates, you deserve to finally have your happiness. Good luck, my friend."

Peter's head was now buried in my neck, where it had been since Sam said my name. Jasper let go of me and stepped forward to shake Sam's hand, causing Peter to growl against me and hold me tighter. He glanced back at us and sighed, stepping to stand in front of us with a hand reaching back to touch each of us.

"I'm sorry too, Sam. I don't hold you responsible and Peter doesn't either, it's just still too fresh. I'm sure you can understand? I'd like to keep in touch- you have my number, and if it changes I'll send you my new one. Take care of your pack, I think you'll be a good leader. Let me know if you have trouble with vampires and I'll come back and check it out, ok? Call me if you need to talk. I'll miss you too, my friend."

With that we all stood silent for a minute or so, Peter still hadn't moved other than to tighten his grip on me even more. Sam finally nodded and turned to run back into the forest, surprisingly silent for his human aspects and his size. We still didn't move until Jasper turned to face us and Peter shuddered and raised his head to meet his gaze.

"I'm sorry, Jas. I thought I would be ok, but when I smelled him I was right back there again. I was layin' there helpless, watchin' my poor baby girl get torn apart right in my arms. Her blood was all over me and I couldn't even help her. She wasn't movin' or cryin' and I couldn't do a damn thing. I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough for you, Bella. I'm so sorry I let you down." Jasper and I caught him as he went to his knees. I felt myself purr for the first time as I cradled his head to my chest.

"Peter, don't do that. Don't blame yourself, please! You did absolutely nothing wrong! You defended yourself against something you had never seen before and had no idea how to fight. You kept yourself from getting killed long enough to let Jasper get in and help you. _You _didn't attack me, _you _didn't hurt me. You were just as much a victim in this as I was- maybe even more. I don't think you have accepted that yet. You need to be open with us, let us help you. Jasper knows you're still in pain physically, but we didn't know what you were thinking. You have to tell us these things; we're your mates. This will never, ever work between us if we aren't completely honest with each other, ok? Let us in; we love you, Pete."

I concentrated on my love for both my mates and asked Jasper, "Show him, please?" He nodded and I felt his power move through my shield. Peter shuddered and began sobbing against me, pouring out all the pain and guilt he'd been holding in the past few days. Jasper cringed when he felt Pete's emotions; he must have been keeping them locked down tight. I knew this was hard for them but it was necessary for us to begin moving past it. I had a feeling that Peter would never be quite the same as he was before the attack; it had shaken him to his core and beaten him both physically and emotionally. We had a long road ahead of us.

It was almost two hours later when Peter finally raised his head to look at both of us. He started to apologize again but Jasper cut him off with a kiss. "No, Pete. No more of that. You don't apologize to us for that anymore. We love you, end of story. Now, it's been an incredibly long and insane day, but I think it's best we get some miles between us and this fucked-up town. Ok? Let's go home."


	25. Chapter 25

_Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story line, SM owns the characters I'm just having fun with them._

**Jasper POV  
Calgary, Alberta  
3 months after leaving Forks  
**

The past few months have been just about as close to perfect as you can get. My mates and my coven all together under one roof was both comforting and chaotic, but never dull. I didn't realize just how bored I had been the past sixty years until I was surrounded by my mates and our family. I enjoyed leading our group as well; it was like James had said, I was born to lead. My orders were followed without complaint or question, aside from my mates. Peter and Bella felt the need to keep me in check by challenging me on almost everything I said. I think Peter was getting back at me for our years in the army, and Bella was just flat-out not used to being told what to do. Peter gave her way too much leeway and she was a tough one to command.

All in all it was good for me though. Their questions kept me sharp and made me think harder about my decisions. James said our relationship was what he wanted with his mates, but they were still hesitant to question him; they were content to follow. I was pleasantly surprised by the change in my relationship with Peter. He didn't bow down to me easily and, at times, I even found myself following him. Our time apart, as painful as it was, had actually been good for him. He moved out of my shadow and led his own coven for years. He wasn't taking a backseat just because I was back in the picture again. And the only time I heard "Sir" from either of my mates was in the bedroom. Neither of them minded having the Major there.

Pete's recovery took much longer than we thought it would. Garrett called some of his contacts and found out that werewolves (and apparently shapeshifters) were poisonous to vampires, but I had done well by cleaning his wounds and sealing them with my venom. The venom acted as a counter-agent to the poison but it still took almost a month before he was as healed as he was going to get. The scars were heavy and darker than his vampire bites, and even after his pain was gone they were still sensitive to touch. Bella and I enjoyed taking advantage of that aspect regularly since we both thought his scars were sexy as hell.

The differences between our coven and the Cullen household went far beyond diet. Right now, Rose was the only one still following the animal diet, but no one gave her a hard time about it and she didn't criticize anyone else either. She and Emmett were more relaxed and comfortable together than they had been all the years I'd known them. Esme was in absolute heaven with all her "children" together again. She and Bella spent the most time together and their mannerisms were even starting to mirror each other. The two of them, along with Edward, truly looked and acted like a biological family. Ironically, Esme was the only one who was able to discipline Bella. She used her "mom voice" and Bella fell in line just like the rest of us. She definitely filled a large void in my mate's life and I was grateful they had each other.

Peter and Esme had also developed a close relationship. They bonded over their lost children from their human lives and spent hours going through pictures and stories from Bella's life. Esme wanted every detail on how he raised her from infancy. Sometimes I think she felt more jealous than I did on those missing human years. Peter and Esme respected each other as peers and their feelings slowly grew to a close sibling relationship. Peter and I were still in charge, but Esme had just as much of a leadership role as we did on the social side of things.

James and his mates kept to themselves more, but they did come clean about their relationship with the rest of the coven. It wasn't possible to keep it hidden in the close quarters we had, but they still didn't want anyone outside the group finding out and they hadn't decided what they would do if we received a visit from the Volturi. Bella was working on expanding her shield, using James and Edward to test it. Anger seemed to be her best motivator, and they were both good at getting her riled up enough to focus on the task. She was having more success recently, shielding up to three additional vampires along with Pete and I.

Speaking of my mate, I heard Edward call her from the far side of the house. Something about a visitor? I ran to him and asked who was here and he told me it was Alistair, but he wouldn't see anyone but Bella. Who the hell was this guy to make demands like that? Edward caught my thoughts and assured me he was just a very reclusive vampire who was uncomfortable around large groups. Bella pulled him out of his shell somewhat when they moved here because he thought she reminded him of his human daughter. Edward assured me his thoughts of my mate were strictly paternal and they were good for each other. She encouraged him to be more social and he kept her in line, much like Esme. I just wondered what brought him here today.

**Bella POV**  
I was thrilled when Edward told me Alistair was here to see me. I hoped we would still be close, even though I was no longer human. Using my new senses, I ran quickly to his tree and jumped up to the branch above him. I was thrilled that I managed to startle him but he recovered quickly and motioned me down for a hug.

"You look lovely, li'l bit. You've hardly changed at all, apart from your eye color. I told you that you were already perfect before your change." I smiled and pulled him close for another hug. Alistair's visits were quite sporadic, and I missed him a lot when he wasn't here. As I breathed in his scent it suddenly hit me and I drew back in shock.

"You smell like Esme! I mean, not like her, but your smell makes me feel the same way her smell does! Does that make any sense?" I couldn't get my thoughts out in any kind of order. "Will you come meet her? Or can I bring her out to meet you? She's very special to me, she's my new mother."

Poor Alistair was trying to follow me and getting hopelessly lost. "Li'l bit, slow down. I'm not sure I understand. Who is Esme?"

"Well, she used to be a Cullen but she left Carlisle to come live with us. She's my mom, and Edward's, and Jasper, Rose, and Emmett's too. She's the best. I never knew I wanted a mom until I met her, now I can't imagine life without her!" Alistair looked at me for a moment, almost sadly, before looking down and saying,

"So, have you found yourself a father as well?" Oh, my poor Al. Is that what he was worried about? That I had replaced him? I decided to tease him a bit.

"Oh, I wasn't aware I needed to be looking for one. I thought that position was already filled?" He glanced up at me quickly before letting a small smile creep up.

"Do you mean? Are you saying?" Apparently I inherited my speech problems from my father...

"Yes, Al. As far as I know you're the only one even remotely interested in the job. Everyone else is scared of my temper or my mates, and you know I love you, I always have. Who else would put up with you? Anyway, you're the only father who ever wanted me, I found that out the hard way when we were in Forks." I tried to keep my composure but it still cut me too deep.

Alistair pulled me in for a hug and asked me what happened. I told him about the article and how my parents didn't even try to find me. I cried again, even though I thought I had gotten that all out of my system before. He went rigid when I told him what Jasper had said about them needing "closure."

"Why that no good bastard. He doesn't deserve you. If you were mine I would never let anyone take you from me. Where is he? I'm feeling a bit hungry, might need a snack." He was growling at the end and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Well, you're a few months too late. Peter already ate him. Eddie scared him a bit too. And Alistair, I'm already yours. If you want me anyway. I've really enjoyed this time with my mom; I'd love to spend some time with my daddy too." I looked up at him hopefully. I didn't realize how much he meant to me until he was back here with me again. I really hoped he would stick around longer this time.

He just smiled at me and pulled me in for a hug. "Of course, li'l bit. I'd be honored." We sat together comfortably for a while, talking about what all he had missed until we heard Edward yell that Esme was dying to come out and meet him and she wouldn't take no for an answer. I raised my eyebrows at my dad and he reluctantly nodded, so we jumped down to wait for her.

I had never been present when a vampire found its mate before, but it's not something that is easy to forget. I remembered being drawn to Jasper and being unable to keep my hands off him, but I had already known who he was before then. Needless to say, I had absolutely no idea what was going on when Alistair's head snapped up and his eyes got darker until Esme came into view, also with dark eyes and sniffing the wind. I stepped back when they both growled and ran to each other.

Esme jumped into his arms and wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling his head to hers for a passionate kiss. Alistair had one hand tangled in her hair and the other one roaming all over her body. When they fell to ground I snapped out of my daze and realized that my _parents_ were making out right in front of me. Eww, seriously gross. "I'll, uh, catch you guys later. Um, just come to the house when you... ew... get done. Bye!" I turned and flew back to the house using all my newborn speed. I ran straight to Edward who grabbed me and started begging.

"Please, Bella, can you shield them? I'm dying here! Or shield me, I don't care. I just can't hear that! It's a million times worse than it was with Carlisle. She's acting like you and Peter and Jasper and I'm DYING Bella! HELP ME!" I had to laugh, at least I was mostly out of earshot now. Poor Eddie still had a front row seat. We had worked on my shield and discovered if I shielded him he would only hear Peter and Jasper's thoughts, not everyone else. Apparently this was more acceptable to him than what he was hearing from Esme and Alistair.

I obliged him and pulled him under my shield without too much difficulty and he slumped to the ground in relief. "Thank you, Princess. I owe you big time. God, that was so bad. I don't think I'll ever be able to look at her again." He shook his head and shuddered.

By this time we had drawn quite an audience and between our conversation and the ones brave enough to venture out far enough to listen, the group had pieced together that Esme and Alistair were apparently mates. When Peter walked up and was filled in, he fell over laughing. We all looked at him like he was crazy until he managed to speak.

"Oh, come on! This is hilarious! The reclusive hermit and the ultimate social hostess? Who would put them together? At least she'll pull him out from under his rock, or make him build her a huge cave she can decorate to her heart's delight!" It was pretty funny when you put it that way. They were complete opposites. Honestly, the only thing they had in common besides being vampires, was me.

"Well, at least Bella won't have to worry about her parents working out a custody arrangement. They won't be splitting up anytime soon!" Eddie joked, but the rest of the group was silent.

"What?" Jasper finally asked. "What are you talking about?" I looked at Eddie in confusion and he suddenly looked contrite.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but his thoughts were really loud. He was so proud of himself and of you. You made him happy for the first time in his very long life. Well, Esme is probably making him happier right now, but still. You know what I mean." Everyone turned to look at me, still confused. Eddie finally continued, "Bella asked Alistair to be her father. She made his wish come true!"

"Oh, that was nice, Bella. I'm sure he really appreciates it. He has always been drawn to you. So, Eddie, did he say why he came by this way? It hasn't really been that long since he was here last- he usually waits at least 6 months or more between visits." Peter asked.

Edward stopped and thought for a minute. "It's strange, when he first got here, he seemed almost frantic. He was worried about Bella and the rest of us but when I told him she was fine, he relaxed a bit. He said something about a warning but that was when Bella surprised him and he didn't think about it anymore."

I looked at Jasper when he came up behind me and put his hands on my shoulders. Peter was standing across from us frowning. "We need to talk to him. Worry and a warnin' isn't somethin' we need to brush aside. I know he's busy with his mate but this might be somethin' that can't wait. Alistair is a very talented tracker and if somethin' caught his attention enough to worry him, we need to know about it. Somebody needs to bring them up to the house."

Edward caught my eye and the two of us, along with Jasper, Rose, and Emmett all yelled out, "Not it!" Peter shook his head while the rest laughed.

"Y'all have spent way too much time in high school. Well, except Bella, who didn't spend enough time. I guess I'm stuck doin' it. James, wanna help? I might need some backup and you're the only decent fighter who didn't back out on me." He shot a look at me and Jasper. Sorry, Pete. Guilt won't work this time. Nothing is making me go back out there. "Jas, can you at least throw some cold water on them emotionally. Give us some kind of help here? And Rose, grab them some clothes. Nobody wants to see _that._"

Rose was back a few seconds later with clothes for the two of them, and Jasper had me pull them under my shield (after I let Eddie out) because it helped him focus his gift. Pete had to pull us apart when Jasper got sucked into their lust before he could get a handle on it, but at least he didn't project it to everyone like he has done before. "Sorry," Jasper said, looking sheepish, "they've both been repressed for a while. The matin' pull is really strong. I'm not sure what I can counter it with. Anger usually works, but we don't want them comin' here mad. Calm isn't gettin' through at all. I may have to knock them out completely."

"What if you focus their paternal love? Maybe add some concern? If you can get them to realize that Bella isn't with them, they might stop long enough to look for her." Eddie suggested.

"Ok, I'll try that. Pete, James, walk out there slowly and toss the clothes to them. Tell them to head back to the house." Jasper closed his eyes to focus more and after a minute or two he looked back up and said, "They're comin'."

We spread out to greet the new couple, with Jas and I in front. Pete joined us when he walked back and stood at Jasper's other side. We may tease him a lot but we know he likes to be seen as the leader, not only of the coven, but our triad as well. I saw him stand up straighter when we were all in position.

Alistair walked slowly into view, with Esme right behind him. Neither of them would look directly at us, but they both kept glancing in my direction. I looked at Jasper for permission before I made my way over to greet my parents. "Oh, Bella! I'm so sorry dear! We got carried away and I hope we didn't upset you too much." Esme pulled me in for a hug and Alistair put his arms around both of us. It was so comforting that I just stood there for a few minutes until Jasper cleared his throat.

"Um, Bella? Can we move on now? Want to introduce our guest to the rest of the group?"

"Sure," I said, standing between my parents. "Everyone, this is Alistair. He's my dad. Daddy, this is my other mate, Jasper, and that's Rose and Emmett, they're Esme's other kids. You know everyone else." He nodded but didn't look quite as uncomfortable as he normally did in a group this size. Everyone smiled at him and Jasper came over to shake his hand.

"Nice to meet ya. I've heard a lot about ya from my mates and Edward. Glad you're here. Now, can I ask what brought ya by? Edward said something about warnin'?" Jasper was back to business once the introductions were finished.

Dad stiffened beside me and pulled away a bit to face the group. "I'm so sorry. I was distracted when I saw that my li'l bit was ok, then meeting my Esme here. I did need to tell you something. I guess you all know how my gift works? I can track pretty much anything, no matter the distance. Well, a few months ago I noticed Carlisle Cullen leaving the country headed for Italy. I was concerned because I knew you had been with him, Major. I followed him across and he went straight to Volterra. I watched them from a distance, I can't stand to get too close to them. Aro and I have a personal hatred for one another, and he would love nothing more than to tie me to his guard.

"So, I watched the castle and nothing much happened but I managed to follow some guards to the airport. They were complaining about having to get the planes ready. Apparently a large group of them were planning a trip. All the kings, and most of the guard, as well as Carlisle, were all set to travel. I waited for the guards to leave and then I disabled the planes as quickly as I could. I knew it wouldn't stop them but it would give me a head start at least. I came here immediately because I panicked when I realized I couldn't track Peter or the Major. I was afraid something had happened to Bella and it scared me so much I forgot about the other threat. The fact that the Volturi are on their way here."

Nobody was moving, the yard was full of beautiful marble statues. Peter broke first, and ran over to scoop me into his arms. Jasper was right behind him and we all huddled together, breathing each other in for a minute. Edward broke the silence, "Bella, can you take your shield off Alistair now? I need to know where they are." I complied but Alistair was the one to answer.

"They just landed in New York. I can't tell if they are running or driving yet, but I will know as soon as they start to move. They should be here within a few days at most."

Emmett summed up all our thoughts so eloquently. "Well, fuck."


	26. Chapter 26

**_AN: I just have to say this chapter went absolutely nothing close to the way I had planned. Just go easy on Peter, he's had a rough time lately.  
AND- for my horny readers, there is a real (if short) lemon at the end. Enjoy! If you don't want to read it, skip the second half of Bella's pov and just read the last line.  
_**

* * *

_Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story line, SM owns the characters I'm just having fun with them._

**Peter POV  
**I held tight to my mates, afraid to let them go. I knew it was a mistake to let Carlisle live, but Jasper said he didn't feel right killing him because he still saw him as a father. Well, shit. I should have done it myself. I killed my own father, and Bella's too. What was one more? Would have saved us a lot of trouble. I mean, I knew we wouldn't escape the Volturi forever, but I was hoping for more than three months of peace.

Jasper looked at me and sent me his regret. "I know, Pete. I know it's my fault. I'm sorry, I fucked up." Without warning, my rage flared up and for the first time in my life, it was directed at my mate. All the years I repressed, all the pain he put me through, both physically and emotionally, all came rushing in at once. I jerked him away from Bella and threw him to the ground.

"You're sorry?! Are you fuckin' kiddin' me? You brought the entire force of the Volturi to our back door! You once again chose someone else above your mates and now we all have to pay the price for it!" I punctuated each statement with a punch to his face and body. In the back of my mind I registered Bella screaming at me but someone must have been holding her back. Jasper just laid there and that made me even more angry.

"Fight me back! What the hell is your problem? You've never had trouble hurtin' me before! Get your ass up and fight me you coward!" I landed a kick to his ribs before he grabbed my foot and twisted, sending me to the ground. He pinned my shoulders down but forgot about my legs.

"Pete, I don't want to hurt you. Please, stop this! Think about Bella!" Wrong answer, fucker. I pulled my knees up to push him away and sent him flying into a tree. I followed immediately and had him pinned a foot off the ground.

"What the hell do ya think I'm doin'? I _am_ thinkin' about her! I'm thinkin' about the fact that the very people I have kept her hidden from for the past sixteen years are about to walk in here and try to steal her from me. And it's _all your fault!_" I held him with one hand while I punched him over and over with the other. "It wasn't enough to destroy me? It wasn't enough to do everythin' you could to hurt me? Now you gotta go after my baby girl? Sorry, ain't happenin'. You've fucked me up too much. I won't let ya do it to her." I pulled back to study him for a minute and his face was downcast, self-disgust was pouring off him. He still refused to fight me but I wasn't done yet. I was gonna hit him where it hurt the worst.

"I don't even know why I looked for ya. I thought you could change, but you're still the same selfish SOB you've always been. You don't know how to think of anyone but yourself." I finally became aware of our audience again when I heard Bella sobbing and Esme comforting her. When I spoke my last piece, she gasped in anger and I heard her struggling away from whoever was holding her back.

I looked at Jasper and thought about all the times he hurt me, all the sick punishments Maria handed out, when he could have stood up for me but he didn't. He let that bitch run him around just like he did Carlisle. That's when it hit me- Jasper was never a leader. He may have had to control armies, but he always answered to someone higher up. I was just too blind to see it before. But I wasn't the same man I was before he left me. I had to stand on my own, I had to lead Edward, and then Bella, and put their safety above my own. I never once laid a hand on either of them; they were only harmed once by my misjudgment, and I corrected that immediately.

I ran my gaze over his defeated form and my eyes zeroed in on his scar-littered neck. He had marked me as his the very first time we were together, but in all our years together he refused to let me mark him. Bella and I had marked each other not long after her change, but he refused her as well. Well, no more. Before he could get anything from my emotions, I spun him around and pressed him up against the tree. "This could've been a lot more fun, but you always did have to do stuff the hard way." With that I leaned over and sank my teeth in his neck. I pumped in extra venom to let him know I was still pissed before I pulled away and let him fall to the ground.

"By the way, _Major_, you ain't in charge no more. You brought this threat to _my_ family, an' I'm gonna take care of it. You wanna help, you can get your ass up and help Garrett start trainin' these folks to fight. I'll be workin' with Eddie and James on a strategy."

With more than a little trepidation, I turned to look at my other mate. "Bella, you can do what you want to. Your fight trainin' is good, so you can help Jasper out, or work with me on strategy. The main thing you need to do is work on your shield. What do you want to do, Sugar?"

Her eyes were narrowed but her expression was unreadable. She glanced between me and Jasper before crossing her arms and jutting her hip out. "Well, Jasper obviously needs my help in training since he has forgotten basic self-defense. However, you fucked him up enough he's not gonna be much use today. Real smart move, _Captain_." Uh oh, I'm in trouble. And she did have a good point. "I think I need to borrow you for a minute before you start your all-important strategy meetings. This coven needs to know they have a leader they can count on, during peaceful times, and in a fight. Think you can take me?"

Well, fuck. This isn't good. She's a lethal fighter. She has all the strength of a newborn, with mine and Jasper's training put together. Her size and speed put larger opponents at a distinct disadvantage. I had sparred with her a few times since her change but we both held back. Jasper had yet to fight her, but I was sure she could beat him. His ego always got in his way and he would severely underestimate her. I just hoped I wasn't doing the same thing.

We faced each other as the rest of our coven spread out around us. I was a little surprised no one had tried to interfere yet. Jasper just dragged himself to a sitting position where he had fallen, rubbing the bite on his neck. Bella brought my attention back to her by taunting me, "Come on, Captain? Scared of your baby girl? Scared I'm gonna show you up in front of your new coven? I'm just a newborn, nothing for a war-hardened veteran to be scared of..." She gave me a wink before charging me. She glanced to my left so I lunged to counter, when she pivoted and jumped over my right shoulder, grabbing my arm and twisting it up behind me. "You holdin' back, Captain? You know I won't. Don't go easy on me like you do Jasper."

I managed to get out of her hold when she tried to knock my legs out from under me. I pinned her to the ground and felt a brief burst of satisfaction before I realized my error. She smirked at me and flipped me over, sinking her teeth into my mating mark. Damn, that stings. "Come on, Pete! You taught me how to break that hold when I was twelve! You givin' up already?" She was laughing when she hopped up and reached down to give me a hand. I took it warily, only to have her pull me up high enough to wrap my arm behind my back and pin me again, face-down this time. Her teeth grazed the back of my neck and she whispered in a deadly calm voice, "Is that all you got? You beat the crap out of my mate and expect me to follow you when this is all you can do? Not good enough."

Shit, I knew I was in trouble. She hopped up and circled me, waiting for me to get up. "Bella. Sugar, I- "

"Shut up. Get your ass up and fight me you coward!" she threw my words back at me and I knew I had no choice. I saw the satisfied gleam in her eye when I stood up to face her. She sank down in a crouch and I decided to lead off this time. I feinted to the right before spinning to the left. When I reached to grab her I caught nothing but air. She danced and spun around me for several minutes before I realized she was just toying with me. I wasn't holding back anymore but she obviously still was. She was herding me in Jasper's direction before she finally kicked my legs out from under me and hauled me up by neck to kneel against the tree he was under. Her teeth pierced my neck again and I bowed my head in defeat. Jasper met my eyes and nodded, sending me his shame.

Bella finally pulled back and dropped me down to sit next to Jasper. We both had our heads hanging down, ready to be chastised by our tiny newborn mate. She knelt down and brought a hand to each of our cheeks, making us look at her. "Now. Are your stupid male egos sufficiently crushed? I may be the youngest but I was under the impression that ours was a relationship of equals. I made it perfectly clear to both of you that no one is in charge here. Yes, we need to lead the others, but we work together when it comes to us. If you haven't noticed, we have kind of a big threat coming our way. If the two of you can't provide a solid front in our coven, how are you going to do it with the Volturi?

"You better get this worked out between you. We need your heads in the game now; I have no intention of losing either one of you to this fight, understand me? Now, you two need to get work on your strategy and crap. Jasper, you can train the others, I'm not that great at teaching. You need someone to spar with, feel free to ask me. I'll be working with my daddy on my shield. I think the two of you have provided me with plenty of motivation. We will discuss this between us tonight. And in the future, if you have problem, don't take it up in front of the entire coven. Got it?" She was standing as she finished, glaring down at us. We answered in unison with a soft, "yes, ma'am."

She started to walk off before turning back to look at Jasper with her eyebrow raised. "You gonna let me mark you tonight, or do I need to do it now, in front of everyone?"

He nodded and smirked a little as he said, "Tonight will be just fine, darlin'. I'll be lookin' forward to it." After she was gone, he turned to me cautiously. "What's goin' on, Pete? I thought we were past all that. Do you really hate me that much?"

I sighed and looked down, trying to organize my thoughts. As I glanced up I noticed we still had the majority of the coven surrounding us, trying their best to pretend that they didn't have vampire hearing. "Look, we'll talk about it later, ok? When it's just us. But no, I don't hate you. I love you." I ran my hand over his now-healed face and leaned over to lick his fresh bite mark. His shiver made me smile and I pulled him in for a deep kiss. Bella interrupted us by clearing her throat and tapping her little foot.

"Uh, guys? Volturi coming? Mass destruction? Any of this ring any bells with you? Let's go!" The rest of the group broke into laughter when we couldn't stop ourselves from giving out another "yes, ma'am."

**Bella POV  
**We spent the rest of the day doing various things to prepare. Jasper and Garrett taught the Cullens, along with Victoria and Laurent, some complex fighting skills. They had all learned the basics before, but we wanted them better prepared. I worked with Alistair on stretching my shield further. By the end of the day I could cover every single member of our coven, spread out all over the property, although it did exhaust me after a few minutes. James, Edward, and Peter drew up battle plans that we hoped we wouldn't need. The plan was for me to shelter the less loyal Volturi members, along with the two mated kings, from Chelsea's gift. With their bonds severed, hopefully they would be more willing to turn on Aro.

If it came to fighting, I had to shield our own coven until Jane and Alec were down. I really hoped it wouldn't come to that, because I felt a certain affinity to the triad I had never met. I knew they were being forced to serve the Volturi and I knew how they felt- I would do anything if my mates were threatened. I hoped I wouldn't have to find out exactly what I would be willing to do.

As night fell, half our group went hunting and everyone else split off with their mates. I met my boys in our bedroom, where I found them curled up in bed together, talking quietly. Peter had his shield up so the rest of the house couldn't hear what they said or did, and I appreciated their effort. "Are you two good now? Or do I need to whip you into shape?" Jasper just laughed and reached his hand out to me.

"We're good. Come over here, Darlin'. You're too far away." His smooth voice melted the last of my tension and I crawled up between them, noticing they were naked under the covers.

"Well, looks like you did work out your problems. Sorry I missed it!" I really wasn't. I knew they needed some time alone together to work through their issues. Now it was my turn. I leaned over to kiss Peter, and he held me to him gently. He tasted like Jasper and my lust shot through the roof. I felt Jasper's hands pull my shirt up and I broke away from Peter long enough to take it off, before Jasper pulled me back to his mouth. This time Peter's hands were opening my jeans and pulling them off. Jasper pulled me over onto his chest as I felt Peters' mouth between my legs. "Damn, I should fight you more often!"

"Shh, darlin'. Let us take care of you." He swallowed my answer with his mouth and his tongue stroked mine gently. Peter's mouth moved further back; hmmm, looks like I'm getting both my boys tonight. Jasper's hands caressed my breasts before he lifted me slightly, and he groaned as Peter grabbed him and guided him into me. I pulled my knees up close to Jasper's side and leaned down to kiss him again. Peter's mouth was back on my other entrance, running his tongue from where Jasper and I were connected, all the way up and back again.

His fingers entered me slowly, while his other hand reached around to massage my clit. My orgasm exploded almost immediately, and as I was coming down I felt him pull his fingers out and kneel behind me, slowly pushing his cock into me. We paused for a moment, just enjoying the connection, before the boys started moving. As Peter pulled out, Jasper bucked his hips up into me, and when Jasper pulled out, Peter pushed back in. They sped up as Jasper pushed our lust and love around. I felt myself getting close and I leaned over to lick Jasper's neck, on the other side from where Peter bit him earlier. He growled lowly, knowing what was coming, and pushed into me even faster.

Peter leaned over and licked his mark on my neck, while his hand returned to my clit, and pushed me over the edge. I growled and bit into Jasper's neck, causing both boys to come simultaneously. My orgasm seemed to drag out forever and I realized Peter had bitten me at the same time I bit Jasper. I pulled back when he did and licked Jasper's new mark. He shivered and looked up at me with hooded eyes. "_Now _you're mine." I whispered to him. Peter leaned over and ran his hand up the other side of his neck. "Mine too." he growled.

"I was always yours. Both of yours. Only yours. I'm sorry I was so stupid. I love you both so much, and I'm proud to belong to you, proud to wear your marks." I started to sit up but he pulled me back down, and Peter as well. "Please, just stay for a little while. I just want to be with you. Be with my mates. I need you now."

We laid together, cuddling, and talked softly for hours until we were startled by several sets of running feet and Edward's panicked voice yelling for Peter. We jumped out of bed and threw our clothes on as fast as we could before running downstairs. "What is it, Eddie? What's wrong?" Peter asked.

"It's the Volturi! Alistair was watching for them to move, but now they're moving too fast! They're flying in! They'll be here within the hour!"


	27. Chapter 27

**AN: Go back and re-read chapter 9 if you have forgotten the Volturi triad information. The two sets are Jane/Alec/Felix and Marcus/Caius/Didyme (Didyme is deceased)**

**Big thanks to Lady Skyelite for pre-reading this chapter and the epilogue for me! You're the best!**

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_Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story line, SM owns the characters I'm just having fun with them._

**Bella POV  
**As I stood on the field ready to face off with the leaders of our vampire race, I couldn't help but feel a little smug that we might actually have what we needed to beat them. We had little hope of simply talking them into leaving, but if we could persuade some of them to change sides, we could hopefully reduce the bloodshed. Or venom-shed. Whatever.

We had gone over our plans so many times I felt like if I was still human I would know them in my sleep. We had several debates over who would stand where, but ended up with Peter and Jasper in the middle, with Edward and Garrett on either side. I was directly behind my mates with James and Alistair beside me. The rest of coven was spread out behind us; Victoria and Laurent were close behind James, and Esme was behind me and Alistair, with Rose and Emmett beside her.

There were approximately twenty coming with the Volturi and Carlisle, but not all of them would be fighters. We had discussed who I should shield and we decided that Edward's gift was too valuable to disable, but he was too vulnerable to leave open to Chelsea. So I would shield all three kings, Carlisle, Jane, Alec, and Felix. I could add Demetri if I thought I could handle it but he wasn't too necessary. Edward was hoping with the kings shielded from Chelsea he would learn something to use against Aro. We really didn't want to kill all the kings, because none of us wanted to rule, and the vampire world did need someone to uphold the laws.

Alistair told us the Volturi were less than ten miles out and I double-checked my shield. Peter had us covered as well, but we had laid a scent trail leading to us before we got into position. We hoped our subterfuge would make the Volturi nervous about our powers and doubtful of their success. Obviously, Aro would know everything Carlisle did, but neither of them had any details about my power. I was the Whitlock ace in the hole.

Jasper and Peter took a moment to turn and pull me into their arms, with all of us just breathing together and enjoying each other. Jasper took a deep breath and his eyes got dark as he said, "It's time." The rest of our coven pulled away from their mates and got back into position, watching the tree line in front of us where we could hear the Volturi moving. The first face I saw made me growl involuntarily, but Carlisle looked completely shocked when he saw me. I put my shield around him and heard Edward suck in a sharp breath. He leaned close to Peter and breathed, "He thought you and Bella would be dead- he told the wolf where to find you and told him you were a threat and Bella was about to be turned." My boys growled menacingly before I put my hands on their backs to calm them. It didn't make a difference; we knew he was snake, now we just knew how big of a snake he truly was.

The rest of the Volturi came into the clearing with a sort of strange pageantry. They moved in a unified formation of black and grey cloaks, spreading open like a fan as they approached us. I quickly shielded the vampires I had been assigned but kept my attention on the triad I was interested in. They stood close together; Jane and Alec were side by side, holding hands. They were small, almost child-like. She was shorter than me, and he was maybe an inch taller. Felix stood directly behind them, towering over them at close to seven feet, looking deceptively calm, but I could see the protective worry in his eyes as he glanced at his tiny mates.

The king who could only be Aro broke the tense silence with a falsely cheery voice. "Well, friends! This is quite a coven you have here, Major! Planning to overthrow your kings?" He reminded me of a cross between a snake and a weasel. His black hair was straight and looked greasy, which I didn't think was possible for a vampire. He looked oddly unhinged, like he had seen too many memories through the years, and he was no longer able to distinguish between reality and fantasy. He made my skin crawl.

"Nope, ain't got no interest in rulin' nothin'. I ain't big on travelin' neither- y'all showed up here lookin' for us, not the other way 'round." From the corner of my eye, I saw Jane's eyes go round as Peter and I each reached for Jasper's hand; neither of us could suppress our desire for our mate, despite the tense situation. Edward stiffened and glanced their direction before cutting his eyes forward and nodding discreetly. I met her eyes when she looked at me and smiled softly, cutting my eyes to her mates and then back to mine before nodding at her as well. She looked almost hopeful behind her blank mask, before she looked at Aro and then dropped her gaze.

"Well, I'm sure you must know how it looks to us. You show up as part of a powerful triad, that could easily challenge my guards, and then I get reports from my dear friend Carlisle of how you destroyed one of his coven members and stole the rest! It truly looks as if you are planning a revolution. What else are we to think?" He really was a good actor, with thousands of years of deception on his side.

Movement caught my eye as the other two kings stepped back slightly at his words and exchanged a glance behind his back. They looked over at Jane's group and then back to us. The older king, with long, wavy black hair was looking around our group as if he was seeing things we could not. I realized this must be Marcus, and he was reading our bonds. His eyes went wide when he looked at me and then at my mates, before looking at every other member of the group. He shook his head slightly before looking to James and his mates. I glanced at James and saw his wide, panicked stare as he locked eyes with Marcus, practically begging him not to say anything. I could see his hands twitching, wanting desperately to reach back to his mates, but trying to hang on to his composure.

"Look, I killed that bitch 'cause she kept me from my mates. She also plotted the death of my youngest mate, and kept her identity hidden from me. Funny thing is, I just learned from my boy here that Carlisle also tried to kill my mates. This time he was successful, as my Bella had to be changed as a direct result of his actions. I will be keepin' the promise I made you, _Dad. _I told ya to stay away from me and mine, or you'd lose your head. Get ready to kiss it goodbye." Jasper straightened to his full height, looking from Carlisle to the weaselly king.

"And I didn't _steal_ anyone. That man lost the respect of his coven all on his own. They walked away of their own free will, and joined me of their own free will. They're my family, not my soldiers. Unlike you, Aro, I don't have to _force_ people to be loyal to me. Of course they may not be feelin' too loyal right now, seein' as how their bonds are broken..." Gasps from the Volturi side sounded at this, like they weren't sure what they had been feeling was true. I saw Jane's group creep slowly closer to our side and she raised her eyebrows at me in question. I nodded to encourage her and Felix grabbed them both and ran over to stand beside Edward.

The sudden defection of his prize weapons threw Aro into a rage. He tried to order the other guards to attack us, but no one would move. He looked around in shock and fury as everyone stepped away from him, including his personal guards and the other two kings. He tried to grab Marcus' hand but Caius got between them and growled.

Marcus quickly grabbed Carlisle as he tried to sneak away, and tossed him over to Peter. "Your bonds are strong, soldier. But your mate's bonds are stronger," he said, looking at me. What did that mean? Jasper looked at him questioningly but Edward whispered that he would tell us later.

All of a sudden Edward's head whipped up and he looked at Aro in shock. He shook his head in disbelief before turning to look at Caius. Aro growled when he started to speak but they all three froze at his words. "_Didyme_. Aro... Aro killed Didyme. You killed your own flesh and blood sister because she was a threat to your power?"

Caius grabbed Aro's throat and growled in his face. "Is this true? YOU did this? Why? We just wanted to live in peace! We were happy to let you rule however you wanted to!" Marcus never said a word, just came right up behind him and twisted his head off as his mate held the body. They dropped him on the ground and spat on him before turning to each other in silence. The remaining guards never moved, they just bowed their heads in submission to their remaining kings.

Jasper took the opportunity to dispose of Carlisle and set both of them on fire. How sweet; lovers in life, together in death. Or traitors in life, either way. Peter looked at the remaining Volturi members and said, "Any more problems? We got plenty of fighters here if somebody needs to challenge us. We really ain't lookin' to rule though. We just want to live our lives." There were panicked head shakes from everyone across the clearing. That's right, you don't wanna mess with my mates. Everyone seemed to draw a breath of relief and the tension eased over both groups.

Marcus looked at me with a sad smile and I felt drawn to him immediately. I asked Peter if I could speak with him and he waved the kings over to our side. Marcus came over where I stood between my mates and kneeled down to take my hand. "My child, I have not seen bonds like yours since my dear, sweet Didyme. You are deeply connected to each and every member of your coven, and I watched as you formed bonds with new people here today. Jane already sees you as a sister and she has yet to speak to you. I see you as a beloved granddaughter. My Caius sees you as his niece. You are very special, child. You would make a lovely queen." Wow. Not every day you get an offer like that from a king kneeling before you!

"Uh, thanks Marcus. But I really don't want to be a queen. I just want to love my boys, maybe let Jasper take me back to school once I get my bloodlust under control. But you and Caius make good kings, you'll be able to rule fairly, even without Aro there. Maybe even better without him there." I saw him glance at his mate out of the corner of his eye, but neither of them looked very happy. Acting on impulse I grabbed each of their hands. "Is something wrong between the two of you? I know you've been together for a very long time, but you don't seem to be very close to one another."

Caius looked away and Marcus looked down. Caius finally cleared his throat and said, "We really haven't been together since we lost Didyme. She took our joy when she died, and we never really recovered. We don't know how to go on without her." His head was bowed and his face looked suddenly younger without the angry mask he usually wore. Marcus reached his free hand out toward him, before pulling it back to tuck in his robe. I looked between them before pulling their hands together and pressing them to each other.

"May I say something? I'm not trying to overstep my bounds or anything, but I know if something happened to me," my boys growled as I said this and I shot them a look over my shoulder. "I would want my mates to lean on each other. I would want them to find happiness in each other, not hold onto the grief of missing me. I know you have suffered a great loss, but you are continuing to suffer alone when you don't have to do so. Cling to each other, find the joy you had centuries ago, and live your lives together! Hold onto the love I know you still have and don't let Aro take that from you as well." They were looking shyly at each other when I finished speaking and I had to choke back tears when Marcus opened his arms to pull Caius close to his chest. My boys each wrapped an arm around me and held me close as we watched them.

"They had their love buried deep but it's comin' to the surface again." Jasper whispered to us. "And Bella, for the record, don't talk like that again. Don't ya think Pete and I have had enough worries for a lifetime? No more!" They squeezed me and tucked their heads in my neck as I started to purr.

Our attention was drawn away by Jane's approach. "Were you the one shielding us from Chelsea?" she asked, and I nodded. "Thank you. I hated Aro with a passion, he was a completely evil man. He constantly threatened Felix and had him tortured every time he heard thoughts of us wanting to leave. He showed us how unhappy the other kings were and told us that was the life we would have if we didn't obey him. We didn't have a choice, we had to save our mate. You understand, don't you?" I could see how badly she wanted my understanding, and I thought back to what Marcus had said about our bond.

"I do understand. I had to think about the same thing if things didn't go our way today. I would do anything for my boys, they are my life. I'm sorry you had to live under his threats for so long. You might want to let Felix talk to my mate, Peter, here. It sounds like they have some shared experiences. It's been hard for Peter to work through, so you might have to be patient with Felix. Let him lean on you both." Peter kissed me with a smile and he walked toward Felix to talk.

"So what are your plans now? Will you stay with the kings in Volterra?" I was curious if they would stay now that they were no longer falsely bound.

"We haven't discussed it, but I think we might. We would be threatened if we left the protection of the Volturi. There aren't a lot of vampires who like us. And the kings will need our support with Aro gone. Things will be shaky for a while. At least we won't have to hide our relationship anymore. We will spread the word so others don't have to hide as well," she added with a pointed glance at James. His eyes widened and he reached for his mates, pulling them close and glancing between Jane and the kings. Marcus looked over his shoulder and smiled and nodded at him.

"You have a strong bond as well, Tracker. Your mates think highly of you though, they do not see themselves as your equal." He can see all that? Wonder what he sees with us?

"I know that, sir. I've tried to correct it but they just won't listen." James sounded discouraged, but Vickie rubbed his back soothingly.

"Don't feel bad, Tracker. Some mates need a leader. You provide a service for them. They are comforted by your authority. Before we were rulers, I led my mates as well. Caius despised giving orders, strange as it might sound" Caius just laughed and nodded, encouraging him to continue. "Not every mated pair or triad is able to function as equals. Most need a dominant partner to take the lead. The Major's mates have challenged him and taken on an equal partnership, one he is still struggling to accept. If there was to be a dominant partner though, it would be young Bella here. She was born with authority, and it is why all who meet her are drawn to her. The only ones she willingly submits to are her parents there, and sometimes her mates." Wow, he has a powerful gift. No wonder Aro kept him on such a tight leash.

Jasper was speechless, something that was not easy to accomplish. I wrapped my arm around his waist and patted him gently. "It's ok, boy, I'll let you take the lead every now and then. But just remember what happens when you get out of line- I'll hand you your ass just like I did Peter." Everyone around us laughed as he kissed my temple and murmured, "Yes, ma'am."

"Ok, everyone," Marcus turned back to the Volturi and raised his hand for attention. "Chelsea, you and Afton are free to go if you wish. You may stay if you desire but we will not be using your gift anymore. Please remove any false bonds you still have in place. Jane, Alec, Felix, will you be returning with us? You may share Aro's quarters if you like. You will be closer to Caius and I that way and no one will bother you." He looked for their answering nods before continuing.

"Everyone else, if you wish to serve my mate and I, it will be under very different circumstances than before. I will hold no one against their will, unless they are serving punishment for an actual crime committed. If you would like to leave, you may do so at any time. As for our business here today, we are finished and we will return home shortly. Bella, you and your coven are welcome to visit us at any time. I hope once your newborn year is up, you will come spend some time with us in Italy. There is much you can learn there." I smiled at him as Peter came back to join Jasper and I.

The Volturi guard's exit was much more relaxed than their entrance, and Jane was the last off the field, smiling shyly and waving at me. We would be keeping in touch, I know. I hoped she could be friends with Victoria as well, it's not always easy having two mates and being the only girl. It was nice to talk to someone who understood the situation.

Soon it was just our family left on the field. Esme and Alistair pulled me in for a hug, followed by the rest of the family. I saw Peter and Jasper locked in a tight embrace, kissing passionately, and I had to just sit and admire them for a moment. I was joined by Victoria a few minutes later and I turned to see James and Laurent in a similar position, something I had never seen before. They were so quiet about their relationship, even among the family. It was going to be different now that they had nothing to fear.

"We're pretty damn lucky, aren't we, Bells?" she asked me, draping her arm on my shoulder.

"The luckiest." I sighed, leaning into her as we watched our men love each other, as they would for the rest of eternity.

_The End_

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_**AN: That's it! There will be a short epilogue, and some more outtakes and extras, that I will add after the epilogue. Thanks for sticking with me! Y'all are the best!**_


	28. Epilogue

_Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story line, SM owns the characters I'm just having fun with them._

**Peter POV  
**I leaned back against his firm, cool chest, relishing in the feel of his textured scars touching the bare skin of my back. The sun was peeking over the horizon signaling an end to our brief respite of night, and the need to hide from the light of day. I focused on my feelings of love, peace, and tranquility to send them to my empathic mate, and smiled as he shared them with Bella, curled up in my arms.

"It was right here, darlin'. Right here was where Pete and I made our escape that eventually led us to you. We had no idea you were even comin' but we knew we were missin' somethin'. I'm so glad we found you."

My baby girl tucked her head down and rubbed her hand across the newer scars on my chest. The ones I gained in Forks, not Texas. "I'm so glad you did escape. I wish neither of you had to suffer through this time but I'm glad you made it safely to me. I love you both so much."

We sat together for a few more minutes before Jasper sighed and said, "We better run before somebody spots us. I can't believe how many people live here now, it's only been eighty years since we were here last." I nodded against him before sitting up to pull my mates to their feet. We ran toward the farm house fifty miles away, where we would be spending the foreseeable future.

It took us more than fifteen years to raise our coven up enough to let them spread their wings and find their own way in the world. James was doing occasional work for the Volturi, when they needed a tracker on American soil. Rose and Emmett were vacationing together, seeing the world; they were virtual nomads these days. Esme and Alistair had moved to England last month, but I had a feeling we would be racking up the frequent flyer miles between here and there. They wouldn't give up their daughter easily.

Garrett was back to traveling. He was such a social butterfly. He wandered the country, spreading gossip and visiting his lovers. We kept hoping he would find a mate and settle down soon, but it didn't look very likely. Edward left for college in New York at the same time we moved down to Texas. He was sad to be so far away from us, but wanted to give us our space as well. He was ready to live on his own for the first time. My boy was all grown up now.

Marcus and Caius had turned the vampire world on its head since Aro's death. They were stern rulers, but very fair. They brought in Maggie to work trials with them; her gift of knowing truth was more foolproof and less biased than Aro's. One of the first things they had done was come down and clear out the Southern warlords. Jasper and James convinced the kings they were a threat to exposure, and that the use of newborn armies was wasteful of human resources. They gained a few new guards from the officers down here, but most were executed as they were too indoctrinated to change.

When we were assured of the freedom down here, Jasper volunteered us to move south to keep an eye on things. We were to make sure no one started the wars up again, and everyone lived in peace. When we started house hunting, Bella got on her computer and did some research. She managed to find Jasper's childhood home for sale; it was now listed as a historical landmark since it was a pre-Civil War era home. The thousands of acres his father had owned were parceled out, but the Whitlock House sat on a respectable twenty acres at the edge of town. There was a huge oak tree shading the backyard that Jasper remembered from his childhood and we even found a drawing on the attic wall that was penciled by his own childish hand.

The day we walked up the front steps, I thought he was going to collapse under his emotions. He was bombarded with memories as he walked through the rooms. Things he thought he'd lost forever came flooding back as he ran his hand over the familiar walls. Bella did some more research and found his sisters' names for him. Mary, Margaret, and Caroline had all married and lived long, full lives. They bore many children and we were currently tracing the lines to find his living relatives. While the Whitlock name died with him, he had passed it on to all of us and that would have to be enough for now. He was overwhelmed when he found out all of his sisters named their first sons Jasper. There was at least one more Jasper in each generation after that and we couldn't wait to find one living to see if there was any resemblance.

We visited the local cemetary and found his parents' graves, with his empty one right next to them. Bella thought it would be hilarious to take a picture of him next to his tombstone, and even made a joke about going back to Forks to do the same with hers. I hope she was joking anyway, I wouldn't be setting foot in that state within the next century.

As we made our way back home, we were interrupted by Bella's phone ringing. "Hello?"

_Hey Princess._

"Oh, hey Eddie! What's up? How do you like New York?"

_Um, it's great. I kinda have some news._

"Really? What's that?"

_Well, I sort of met my mate last night._

"What? That's awesome Eddie! Tell me all about her, is she human or vampire? How did you meet? What does she look like?"

_Well, we met at a frat house party, we were drawn to each other instantly. The attraction was impossible to resist. He, um, he invited me back to his house and we spent the whole night together. __He's human, but I don't know how long I'll be able to hold off on biting him. It was such a strong urge when we had sex, I've never felt that urge before. He's having a hard time accepting things right now. He keeps swearing he's not gay, but his thoughts tell me he's just as attracted to me as I am to him. I told him he was my first time with a guy but I'm not sure he believed me. I guess I kinda looked like I knew what I was doing, thanks to you guys. Anyway, I'll be telling him all about me pretty soon and I'd like to bring him to meet the three of you. I think he might feel better once he knows we'll have another mate as well, eventually. So, yeah, that's it. Oh, his name is Riley._

We had all stopped dead in our tracks and I'm sure Jasper was blown away by the shock we were putting out. Edward's mate was a male? How fucking awesome is that?

_Guys, you still there? Bella? Pete? Jasper? Hey, can you do me a favor? Don't tell the rest of the family yet. I don't want to overwhelm him. The whole "I'm a vampire" thing is gonna be hard enough to swallow without the giant family as well. I don't even know how I'll tell him about the kings, either. So, guys? What do you think?_

Bella recovered first with a happy squeal. "Congrats Eddie, I'm so happy for you! I get a new brother and eventually a new sister! You're the best! I can't wait to meet him! And don't worry about the family, we'll just keep it between us, for now."

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**AN: Ok, that's really it! I'm moving the outtakes over here, and I have one more I will post within the next week I hope. Hope you have enjoyed the ride!**


	29. Outtake 1- Bella Turns 2

**Here is the first outtake. It was originally gonna be part of the story but instead it became a memory that Peter shared with Jasper during Bella's change. It's dedicated to my youngest child who is a 2-year-old spoiled brat just like Bella. It takes place between chapters 14 and 15**

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**Edward POV  
Bella's 2nd birthday  
**

"Happy Birthday, Princess! Time to wake up now!" I chuckled as she turned away from me and squirmed further under her blankets. Bella did NOT like mornings.

"Go 'way Eddie. Want my Petey. Want my cake-cakes." She poked her head up to glare at me with her lip pouting and her hair a wild mop of brown curls pointing every direction. "Where's my Pete?"

"Peter is downstairs making your pancakes, your highness. I came to give you a ride to breakfast." As usual, the promise of speed got her moving and she threw her covers off and jumped into my arms.

"Run fast? Let's go!" I ran her at vampire speed down to the kitchen where Peter was cutting up her pancakes and set her in her chair. She immediately pointed to my piano and commanded me to "Play please." She loved to hear me play the piano and I was constantly having to find or write new songs to keep her attention. Since it was her birthday, I decided to play the lullaby I wrote for her the night she came home with us.

As I began to play I relaxed with the peaceful sounds of Bella's soft chewing and Peter humming along with the melody. His thoughts were focused on Bella like they normally were, but thoughts of Jasper kept sneaking in, _I wish he could see how big she is getting. I wonder what he would think of me cooking human food all the time. _It was a little ironic- the Cullens pretended to live in the human world but Peter and I were the ones _really_ living it.

"Why don't you take a picture of her birthday breakfast, Peter? I can come take one of the two of you if you would like." We had become avid photographers, capturing every aspect of Bella's life. We didn't need the pictures with our perfect memory, but Peter wanted to have them when we met up with Jasper so he could see all he had missed.

"You better finish her song first or you know she'll growl at you." It was true, Bella had a fierce temper and after hearing Pete and I growl at each other she had picked up the habit as well. I wrapped up the last few chords and made my way back into the kitchen, not surprised to find Bella on Peter's lap as she finished eating. Those two were inseparable. She still slept on his chest every night, and he only left her when he had to go hunt nearby.

I snapped a quick picture of them with matching smiles and asked, "So what's the plan today? We doing anything special?"

"I thought I would take her to the park since it's cloudy outside. We haven't been there lately and you know how much she likes to play. Do you want to come?" Peter asked.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world."

We made our way down the street to the neighborhood park once Peter had gotten all of the syrup off Bella. She ran for the slide as soon as he put her down and I followed behind her like a vampire puppy. She was such a daredevil, it was a good thing she had two supernatural protectors. If she was with humans she would probably be in and out of the hospital constantly. She literally had no fear. She was proving this again as I watched her head down the slide head-first, earning her some admiring glances from older kids and getting me some dirty looks from their mothers.

We continued her routine of up the ladder, down the slide with Peter watching from the bench nearby. He loved watching her and seeing the joy she got from life. His thoughts were consumed with his love for her, her beauty, and his pride for his mate. His eyes never left her and she constantly checked to make sure he was watching. I was just there as a prop, a safety net for her if she got in too much of a hurry and started to fall.

Our routine was disrupted when a woman's thoughts started screaming about Peter. She had her eyes locked on him and was going in for the kill. Poor thing, she didn't have a clue. I had to choke back laughter when she sat down next to him and he discreetly moved further away. She wasn't deterred and leaned over to tell him that he smelled nice. At this, I did have to laugh. He had his shield up and if I couldn't smell him, there was no way she could! Peter pointedly ignored her continued attempts at conversation and my attention was drawn back to Bella when she growled and stomped her foot. She took off running on her short little legs and made a flying leap into Peter's arms. He hugged her close and she looked over at the woman with a glare.

"That's _my_ Pete." And then she stuck her tiny little tongue out. Peter had to duck his head to hide his laughter before he could pretend to chastise her.

"Bella, that wasn't very nice." She turned her glare on him then. "Wanna go swing now?" He stood up fluidly and completely turned his back on the woman as he carried her over to the swings.

I saw my chance and moved over to the bench. "I'm sorry about that, she's a little protective of my brother. He doesn't like to date."

Her thoughts switched from surprise to pleasure when she looked me over. "Oh, is she his daughter?" I saw Peter frown across the park.

"No, she's mine. He just helps me raise her." It was our cover story since she did look like me and he refused to be labeled as her father. "I'm Edward."

"Oh, I'm Susan. Nice to meet you. You know, you look a little young to be her father." She looked at me skeptically.

"Yeah, I get that a lot. I'm twenty. Bella's mother got pregnant when we were in high school and she didn't want to keep her so my brother offered to help me raise her. It's lonely being a single dad, but she's worth it." This was my park pick-up line. I used a different one in the bars; there I was a college student and Bella's name never came up. You have to know how to appeal to your target.

She laid her hand on my arm as she was thinking of ways to get me back to her house. "I completely understand. My husband left us last year and with the kids in school now I get pretty lonely too." She paused to gauge my reaction so I sent her a sympathetic smile and leaned toward her and ran my other hand down her arm, watching her shiver. Her thoughts said it was out of desire, not cold or fear.

"Would you like to come back to my house for some coffee? I just live right down the block." she said, pointing. She was thinking of how quickly she could get me out of my clothes before her kids got home from school. Sometimes this was just too easy.

"Sure, let me make sure my brother doesn't mind watching Bella. I'll be right back." I jogged over to the swings to maintain our human façade, and whispered to Pete. "I'm gonna make an exception and take your sloppy seconds this time. It's been too long since I've had a date. I'll probably have to hunt after this so don't expect me back soon." I continued in a louder voice for Bella, "Happy birthday Princess! Have fun with Pete and I'll see you tonight! Love you!"

"Love Eddie!" she gave me a wave and a smile. I really do love that kid.


	30. Outtake 2- Eddie's date

**_AN: This takes place in Canada, between chapters 15 and 16. Bella is 14 years old. And no, all the outtakes won't be from Bella's childhood, these are just the first two I had already written. _**

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_Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story line, SM owns the characters I'm just having fun with them._

**Edward POV  
**Ugh, this woman is getting on my last nerve. She was nice enough in the club but once we left the noisy crowd she would not stop talking! Her mental voice was loud enough on its own without adding her screeching laugh and simpering comments. You can stop flirting now! You convinced the horny vampire to take you home, just fuck me and leave please! God, I could barely focus enough to get it up now. This calls for desperate measures.

I normally don't kiss the women I fuck, it's just a little too tempting, even with my excellent control. But if her mouth is busy she can't talk. I held my breath and leaned in to shut her up. At least part of her. Her thoughts were still running at full volume. Her mouth was warm but she tasted like cigarettes and beer. It would be better if she had been drinking those fruity drinks girls usually like, but she was too cheap for that. Her hand drifted down to my crotch and the heat was enough to get me to half-mast at least, and it gave me another idea for keeping her mouth busy.

I pulled back and reached down to open my pants. Her eyes grew wide and her thoughts stuttered for a minute when she took in my impressive size. I just pushed her head down, hoping she would take the blatant hint. "You're so big! Wow! I mean, I've never seen..." Eww, she just had to mentally run through her past conquests to compare size, and now I'm soft again.

"No more talking. You talk too much. Suck it." I'm through being a gentleman. I haven't had sex in weeks and it should not be this difficult! I heard her startled thoughts before she decided she liked my dominant side and ducked her head down to take me in her mouth. _He's so cold, that's weird. But wow, he tastes soo good. Wonder if he has circulation problems that affect his ability to get it up. He seems to be having trouble so far._

"Ugh! Just, come here." I pulled her up on the bed and covered her body with mine. I made quick work of her clothes and focused all my attention on her body, trying to drown out her voices. By the time she had her first orgasm I was finally hard enough to perform and I knew her wet heat would keep me going until I could come. I couldn't stand to kiss her again so when she started moaning as I entered her, I covered her mouth with my hand. "Be quiet, you'll wake my little sister up."

I heard Peter's mental voice from the room next to Bella. _Don't even think about bringing her into this. She has run off enough tramps from this house. It's probably one reason she hates humans so much. Take the trash out yourself._

"Shut up, Peter! I'm busy right now!" I whispered low enough she wouldn't hear. His answering chuckle just pissed me off more.

Finally sated, I sat up and started to get dressed when I felt her warm hand at my back. "Come cuddle with me. That was so amazing! I feel so connected to you. Do you believe in soul mates?" Oh, hell no. Garrett and Peter were laughing loudly at opposite ends of the house. _Yeah, Eddie, did you find your soul mate? _Garrett teased me.

"Uh, no, I don't. This was just a quick fuck. Sorry." Her eyes were wide with shock when I turned around fully dressed. "Ready to go? I'll drop you off wherever."

Her mind was still blank with shock, I was thinking maybe this was the line I should have led off with. "But, you have to feel it! I mean, I love you! How can you not feel the same way?" Mayday, mayday, going down. Houston, we have a problem. Her voice rose in pitch as she continued "I can't believe you don't feel it! This is special, we have a mystical connection! We'll be together forever!" _Eddie, she woke Bella up. Get her out of here, now._

"You gonna help me do that, Pete? I swear I'm about to eat her and I know you don't like that." I whispered back to him. _No, don't do that. You know how I feel about you playing with your food. Get her downstairs and I'll help you out._

"Uh, look, sorry about that. I'm just not looking for anything serious." I could hear Peter whispering to Bella and then the quiet run as they went downstairs ahead of me. "Look, why don't we go downstairs and I'll get you some coffee and we can talk." I felt myself cringe on the last word.

"Ok, that would be good." Damn it, she's crying now. Bella better be on her game.

We walked down to the kitchen and Bella was sitting at the bar with a glass of milk. She looked so cute in her flannel pajamas. I wondered idly for a minute if the house was warm enough. It was snowing pretty hard outside. Bella looked at the girl and said in her rudest princess voice, "Who the hell are you?" I gave her a look for that one, she knows we don't like her cursing.

"Uh, I'm Candy." Candy! That was it! Too bad she tasted nothing like candy. "Who are you?"

"I'm Eddie's sister. I live here. You don't. So why are you here?" God, I love my princess. I could hear Garrett upstairs trying his best to keep his laughter quiet and Peter was outside the door thinking, _That's my girl. She's gonna give Jasper a run for his money. _

"Oh, I uh, came over to visit with your brother. We were just talking upstairs." Candy managed to answer.

"No you weren't. You were fucking him. I heard you. You better be glad Peter isn't here." She paused, cocking her head to look Candy up and down. "You look kinda old. Do you know how old Eddie is?" She got another look for her choice of language but at least she was moving this along.

"Um, he said he's twenty-one. I'm only twenty-eight." At this Bella burst out laughing, holding her hands on her stomach.

"Oh, you are so screwed. Does he look twenty-one to you?" Candy glanced back at me and I put on my most innocent face. "He's sixteen, genius. You're a walking felony right now."

Candy's thoughts were a swirl of disbelief and denial. Peter chose this moment to walk in the door. He glared at Candy and said, "Who are you?" _Really Eddie, this was the best you could do? Was it ugly hag night at the bar? You have no standards do you? _I just rolled my eyes at him.

Candy tried to answer but was cut off by Bella. "She's the old lady who was fucking Eddie upstairs. I think you should call the cops. She violated my brother." Full on pout and she even managed to pull up a few tears. She's so perfect.

Peter coughed to cover his laugh and turned to my date. "Is she telling the truth? How old are you? You don't look like a teenager." _She's got gray hairs, Edward. Come on, how dark was that bar? You have fucking vampire vision._

"She's twenty-eight. Eddie told her he was twenty-one. I think you should ground him again." Bella was on a roll.

"Edward, I'm disappointed in you. I took you in and this is how you repay me? Your mother would be rolling over in her grave right now." _She really would, she raised a proper Victorian gentleman, you know. Not a vampire man-whore... _"And you," he continued, turning to Candy. "I'll give you two minutes to get the hell out of my house before I call the police. I'll make sure you're on every sexual predator list they make. I'll bury you." _Not really, she doesn't even smell good enough to eat Edward. You really need to be a little pickier next time._

"I'm sorry, who are you?" Candy was hanging on to her composure by a thread.

"Who am I? I'm his uncle! I'm the legal guardian for this minor child! The one you raped upstairs _in my house!_" Wow, he's been taking lessons from Bella. They are an evil pair.

I ducked my head in pretend shame and caught Bella's smirk. Candy finally found her voice again and squeaked. "He drove me here, I don't have a car."

"Ok, I'll drive you home. I can use that time to remind you exactly why you will never set foot anywhere near my property ever again. I'm trying to raise these kids right and I don't need women like you around setting a bad example." He turned to Bella and I, "You two, get your butts in bed. I'll deal with you later." He couldn't resist kissing Bella's forehead before he went out the door.

As soon as they were gone, Garrett bounced down the stairs. "You know Eddie, if you'd just man up and fuck a vampire you wouldn't have these problems. I can give you my list of contacts."

"Garrett, I have told you. You fucked Carlisle. I'm not going anywhere near anything else you might have even touched. I can't do it."

Bella just laughed at our banter before getting out of her chair. "I need a ride upstairs since my sleep was disturbed. And Eddie, while that was a lot of fun, you owe me. She was so gross, I'm going to have nightmares!"

"Whatever, Princess. They can't all be as beautiful as you. Let's get you back to bed."


	31. Outtake 3- Peter's change

**_AN: This tells about Jasper's relationship with James before Peter, and how the Major found his mate and changed him. This is NOT Jasper from the story, this is the Major at his darkest before Peter softened him up. Enjoy!_**

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_Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story line, SM owns the characters I'm just having fun with them._

**Jasper** **POV  
South Texas, 1920  
**I sat at the bottom of the dirty pond for hours before Maria sent James after me. My lieutenant knew to approach me cautiously, but he really had no reason to fear me. He was just as much a pawn in this fucked-up game as I was. At least he was obedient, something I had trouble mastering. I felt his emotional signature long before he slipped into the water to sit next to me. I'm sure he wondered about my sanity, what I was doing submerged down here, but he would never understand. James had a relatively easy job at camp, and he was rarely punished after his newborn year.

He was one of my few success stories. I hadn't sired him, but I did save him. We discovered his gift by blind luck, just after his first birthday. He was set to be destroyed with the rest of his batch when he told me that one of our rival warlords was approaching from the west about 20 miles out. I sent a drone out to scout and he confirmed the story, leading us to discover James tracking gift. I was secretly pleased to keep him around longer; he was one of my favorite pets, and one of the few that Maria and I both agreed on. When I couldn't avoid her advances I would bring him along with me, both to distract her, and to satisfy myself.

I had tried to claim him as my own but the bitch wouldn't let me. She knew his gift was too valuable to let me turn him against her. Over the years he became a toy we fought over, kept from each other, and baited each other with. These days, we rarely shared him. Of course, we rarely shared anyone anymore, not even each other. She knew I despised her, but we were both stuck. We needed each other.

James pulled me from my contemplation by bravely laying his hand on my arm and sending me his curiosity. He was the only vampire I'd met who was willing to communicate with my gift. Hell, Maria didn't even know it was possible. That's a great sire for ya.

Thinking of my sire brought me back to what I was brooding about. Culling day. I'd spent the morning tearing my soldiers to pieces and burning them. It was something that happened every year, but this year was tougher than most. Maria had gotten even more lazy than usual, and all the vampires killed today were ones I had sired myself. I selected them, bit them, and trained them from day one. I held myself aloof, but I could never completely escape my sire's bond. As much as I hardened myself, I couldn't help but feel the betrayal when my children realized I was ending the life I gave them.

I had to distract myself so I turned to James and nodded to the surface, pulling him with me as I kicked up. "You with her tonight?" I growled at him.

He tried not to frown but couldn't hide his disgust from me as he nodded, "Yes, sir."

"Not anymore. Come on." I dragged him over to the dry grass around edge of the pond and pulled him up for a bruising kiss. His lust spiked immediately, something he only felt for me, never our sire. "This ain't gonna be nice. I ain't had the best day." He just nodded, he had never turned me away yet. Obedient little fucker. I flipped him around to face the tree in front of us and said, "Hold on."

Walking back into camp a few hours later, I had my head held high. Bringing Maria's bitch back to her completely covered in my scent almost made my day better. The smugness radiating off of James stroked my ego and fueled our camaraderie. I led him to her tent, where I kissed him in front of everyone there and slapped his ass as he went through the opening. "I'm goin' to hunt, _Mistress_. If ya want me back before dawn, I wouldn't send my favorite toy after me this time. _Adios!_"

I walked out of camp, making sure I wasn't followed, and headed for the nearest town. It was dark when I reached the factory near the railroad. This was a prime hunting spot for me, both for meals and for soldiers. Despite the new human laws of Prohibition, the men leaving work always congregated together to share their bootleg whiskey and moonshine. A drunk victim was a compliant victim. The alcohol sweetened the blood as well.

I caught a scent that instantly drew me in, but my thirst did not increase for some reason. I stretched my gift out and almost fell over by the waves of misery and despair coming from behind one of the clapboard buildings. I approached cautiously, not sure why this human was affecting me so much. As I came around the corner, I felt like a steel cable was drawing me to the man slumped against the building. I shot to his side to investigate. He was tall, but not as tall as me. His long blonde hair was pulled back with a leather strap and his tanned skin was smooth and clear. His clothes were dirty, but in good condition. As if sensing my presence, he opened his eyes and I reeled in shock as the sky blue irises locked on mine. _Mine_. That's what I felt. _He_ was mine. I couldn't keep my hands off him.

I reached to brush back a strand of hair from his forehead and his eyes widened when my cold skin made contact with his face. "Are you an angel?" he whispered, filled with awe.

I laughed without humor. "No, boy. I'm about as far from an angel as you can get. What's your name?"

"Peter. Why did you call me boy? Last time I checked I was a man." He's got spunk, I like that. I'll have to break him though, if he's gonna last at camp.

"I called you boy, 'cause your _mine._ You belong to me, so don't forget it." As I picked him up I noticed a glint of silver on his hand. A wedding ring. Fuck. "Where's your wife?"

The misery came back full force and I came very close to dropping him. If I didn't have vampire hearing I would have missed his whisper, it was so soft. "She's dead. They're both dead. I lost them. Nothing left." I was completely lost when he began to cry. Deep, desperate sobs wracked his body as his tears soaked my shirt. I pulled his face to mine and growled.

"Stop it. Whatever you had don't matter no more. I told ya- you're MINE. Got it?" I slipped the ring off his finger and crumbled it into a small metal ball and tossed it behind me. His eyes were wide pools of blue as I moved closer and pressed my lips to his. He gasped and I pressed my tongue into his mouth, growling again when he didn't move against me. I pushed some lust at him and felt him respond, groaning beneath me. Satisfied, I pulled back and looked in his eyes one last time. "_MINE." _I told him.

He nodded and looked slightly dazed as he said, 'Yours." I bent my head to his neck and bit. I savored the sweet taste of his blood; one part of my mind told me it was honey and cinnamon. Forcing myself to stop, I began pumping venom into the wound, before sealing it with my tongue. I laid him down to bite his wrists and ankles, before opening his shirt to bite directly above his heart.

I cradled him to my chest and began to run as he thrashed around. I put my hand over his mouth to muffle his screams until we were clear of the town. My mind was working overtime as I ran to camp, I had to figure out what to do so I could keep him. Maria ordered all mated pairs to be destroyed; she called them a liability. I had lost some good fighters over the years just because they had found their mates. I doubted she would actually kill me, but I had no doubt she would destroy Peter. So she couldn't find out about our true relationship.

Before I was within hearing range of the camp, I sat down and pulled Peter close to me. I pushed as much calm into him and tried to pull his pain away so he could concentrate on what I was saying. "Listen, we're about to go into camp. I won't lie to ya, it ain't a good place to be. But I'm gonna do my best to watch out for ya and make life easier for ya. The main thing you have to know is that no one can know you are mine. I'm gonna tell them you're just a pet, a toy, but you remember that you're more than that. You're my mate, but I can't have ya taken away from me so nobody can know that. Now we're gonna run in now and I'm gonna be a little rough with ya, but I can't show ya too much favoritism, alright? It's nothin' personal."

Not sure how much he understood, I picked him up and slung him over my shoulder, like I normally do when I bring in a new recruit. I approached camp cautiously, knowing Peter's screams would draw an audience. When I saw Maria standing outside her tent, I straightened up and put a cocky look on my face. "Look here, bitch. This one is mine. I found him, bit him, and I'm keepin' him. You ain't got no claim on him so keep your hands off."

She walked around to look at him and shrugged her shoulders when she wasn't impressed. "Whatever you say, _mi amor, _he doesn't look like much fun. Although he does bear a strong resemblance to our lieutenant. Are you playing games with me? Well, if you are keeping your new toy, then I am taking James. Keep your hands off my toy, and I'll leave yours alone as well." I made an angry face, even though I was secretly thrilled. She saved me from an awkward situation trying to explain to my favorite pet why he no longer held my interest.

Safe in my tent, I set about making my mate comfortable. I started to lay him on my pallet, but the smell of other vampires made me growl. I threw the blankets outside and yelled for fresh ones. One of the human servant girls ran in a few minutes later, shaking like a leaf. She actually fell over when I simply took the blankets and murmured, "thank you." I would have to work harder on my tough façade. My mate was already making me soft, and that would never work.

Turning my attention to Peter, I stripped his clothes off and used my basin and pitcher to clean the dirt and sweat from his body. I would keep his clothes to be washed, they were a commodity around here, and he would go through several sets before he figured out his strength. Seeing him nude, I realized I would probably rip his clothes off myself quite often as well. I had a beautiful mate, even as a human. I shook my thoughts away and dressed him in my own pants and shirt, covering him in my scent. It soothed my beast until I could mark him and let everyone know he was off limits.

I stayed in my tent the next three days, ordering everyone away who tried to disturb me. As his heartbeat sped up, I knew the end was near and I waited to see what kind of newborn he would be. I crouched next to him, ready to subdue him if he tried to flee, and watched as his eyes opened. My breath caught as the bright ruby orbs drew me in, much like the sky blue ones had only days earlier. The pull to him was overwhelming and I reached my hand toward him without thinking.

His strong emotions bounced so fast I thought I was going to be dizzy. Fear, anger, confusion, thirst, and finally lust. His eyes darkened as he looked me over and I finished reaching and drew him to me. I crushed him to my chest and kissed him hard and rough. I pulled his ear close and whispered almost silently, "We're gonna get out of here so I can explain stuff to ya. I need ya to keep quiet, keep yer head down, and don't say a word. Got it?" I paused while he nodded. "Good. If ya step outta line I have no choice but to punish ya. I don't wanna hurt ya but I have to keep up appearances here."

Sending him some calm, I pulled him to his feet and held his hands behind him. He immediately ducked his head in submission and I was pleased he seemed to be a quick learner. I pushed him out of the tent and walked toward where Maria was watching the other officers fight. "Aah, your new pet is awake I see." I growled when she reached toward him and she glared back at me. "Well, at least he's not completely useless. A vampire with no scent will make an excellent scout for us." I locked down my expression, hoping my confusion didn't leak out. What was she talking about? Peter smelled fantastic. So sweet and spicy, I just wanted to drink him in. I knew I couldn't let on that I could smell him, sure it must have something to do with him being my mate. So I just nodded and said,

"I'm takin' him to hunt. Might take me a while since I didn't hunt the night I found him. I'll have to break him in good too, so don't wait up for me." I felt Peter's fear spike at my words and I sent him some trust so we could get out of here fast. He relaxed a little and I eased my hold on his wrists. I turned him to face me, keeping my voice stern when I told him, "You stick with me now, ok? We got a tracker here who will hunt you to the ends of the earth, so don't think about runnin' from me. Let's go."

I kept hold of his arm and took off running, slowly building my speed to get him used to his new abilities. We were halfway to town when I stopped, pulling him with me. "Ok, how much do remember about the night I found you?"

His smooth deep voice soothed something deep inside me when he spoke. "Um, I'm yours right? Not sure what that means, but I feel connected to ya somehow, right here." he said, thumping his hand over his silent heart.

"That's right. You're mine. You're my mate, and we're both vampires. I'm about to take you huntin'. It will take you a while to get the technique down, so I'll bring your meals to ya at first." My beast stirred at the thought of feeding my mate. "I'll explain more about life at camp after you've fed, but the main thing you need to remember is, don't worry about how I treat ya in front of others. They can't know you're my mate or they will kill you. I can't lose ya. I've been alone for a long time.

"Now, they shouldn't really suspect anythin'- I've never seen two males as mates, so we have that workin' in our favor. It's probably for the best, I'm a tough vampire, and I doubt a female could keep up with me and all my needs. Now, I'm gonna train you myself but you can't ignore the other officers. Just because I claimed ya, doesn't let ya off the hook in their eyes, so don't be gettin' a big head around camp or spoutin' your mouth off about it, ok?"

"Yeah, ok." he answered.

Reflexively, I pulled him up by his collar and growled in his face. "It's _yes, sir!_" His eyes were wide and almost childlike in their fear. For once I actually felt remorse, but there was no place for it here. He had to learn respect, or he would get himself killed. "Always address me as 'sir' or you will be punished harshly and swiftly. There ain't no second chances around here. Lack of respect will cost you an arm or a leg, the choice goes to the officer you piss off. Length of time is usually determined by me or Maria. Always keep your eyes lowered and your position submissive. With your height, you'll need to be extra careful of this. You can't look an officer in the eyes, they'll see it as a challenge and take you down.

"We'll work on all this when we're alone, but I won't punish you unless we're in camp around others. I can't avoid it then. Look, I don't wanna hurt ya, ok? It's just how things have to be." His head was lowered, studying his boots, but he nodded and whispered a faint "Yes, sir." His fear actually caused me physical pain, but I knew I couldn't take it from him, he needed the fear to survive. I did put my hand under his chin and raise his face to mine. "Come on, let's get ya fed. You'll think better with your thirst taken care of." I kissed him again, pleased when he grabbed me to pull me close.

He stuck close to me as we approached town and followed my instructions to the letter. I brought him three humans and he drained them like a normal newborn, all teeth and noise. When he was finished, and completely drenched in blood, it was my turn to attack. I had never wanted anyone as much as I wanted my mate. His instincts had him fighting me for dominance but I quickly showed him who was in charge. I had him begging me to fuck him before I finally gave in, and the satisfaction I felt sinking my teeth in his neck was like nothing I had ever experienced. I could definitely get used to this.

Walking back to camp, I was more than a little nervous. I had drilled Peter on all he needed to know, and started sparring with him some. He had a natural talent for fighting, so that was a good thing. He was very intelligent and I knew I would be consulting with him on battle strategies once his newborn attention span had lengthened somewhat. But first order of business was getting him in the routine of camp life.

My face hardened as I walked him to the fighting pits. I hated that this would be his first introduction to the officers, but it couldn't be helped. Newborns in Maria's camp had to prove their worth from day one. I walked him over and introduced him around, and handing him over for training. He started in the pit with 6 other newborns, the blood from his earlier feed making him an easy target. I was fighting my instincts the whole time he was down there, cringing with every bite they got in.

I could tell Maria was surprised by how well he held his own. He dispatched all six, only losing his left hand in the process. I pulled his pain back and sent him some peace as he waited for her approval. I had to bite back a growl when his eyes shot up to meet mine and the bitch saw it all. "Well, Major, he fights well, but you obviously haven't taught him enough respect. You're getting lazy in your training. Take his arm and I don't want to see him back before tomorrow. Drop him in the barracks with the rest."

"No. He's mine, he's stayin' with me. I don't trust him to be there when I get back if I leave him with the rest. I've marked him, see? Nobody gets him but me." She waved off my concerns but didn't back down on his punishment. I steeled myself against his fear and betrayal as I reached for his arm. I could have sworn I felt bile rise in my throat as I harmed my mate, the one person I was made to protect above all others. Pushing the feelings down, I sank further into the Major and hardened my gaze against his bowed head.

Back in the tent, I put him back together and whispered my apologies, but the damage was already done. He knew where he stood with me and I doubted I could ever fully regain his trust.


End file.
